Biography

Paul Abdul Wadud Sutherland became a freelance writer in 2004. He has fifteen published collections and is editing seven others. He’s won literary awards; one of his poems helped promote the Olympics 2012, has won grants and participated in many projects. His work also includes lectures on Sufi poets and English Literature, leading seminars, mentoring, collaboration with musicians and visual artists. 

 

He runs creative workshops for all abilities including children and disabled participants. His writers' retreats are always inspiring occasions and have included a poetry weekend at Cambridge Muslim College with a fascinating talk on Divine Poetry. Other retreats/workshops are being planned so please subscribe to be kept up to date. You can also meet him at different fairs: The Poetry Book Fair, London; York Literature Festival and Wolds Words Festival to name a few.  

 

His performances have a special flavour and he has been invited to many different venues including Bradford Literature Festival, the Cellar Bards (Wales), The Keep (Guildford), Mansion of the Future (Lincoln), Poetry Society Café (London), Wolds Words Festival (Lincolnshire), in Edinburgh on the fringe of its Literature Festival. Internationally he has recited his poetry in Ireland, USA, Canada, Cyprus, Romania, India and Australia. He also reads at various Sufi events, over the last few years in Tooting and Willowbrook Festival and Eid Celebrations in Lincoln. 

 

After becoming a Sufi Muslim in 2004, two poetry books followed: Poems on the Life of the Prophet Muhammad (s) 2014, with support of Professor Timothy Winter (Abdal Hakim Murad) of Cambridge University. His other volume was A Sufi Novice in Shaykh Efendi’s Realm, (first published  in Romania as a bi-lingual book, 2014; re-printed in UK, 2015), it describes his ‘mystical’ adventures in North Cyprus.

 

His New and Selected Poems, Valley Press 2017 is a ‘unique … unflinching and forensic exploration of life through language.’ The book was listed by PBS for winter 2017, selected as a choice for The Morning Stars’ books 2017. The University of Lincoln archives his poetry, prose and criticism. A new collection of Paul's love poems, called Amoretti, was published by Dempsey and Windle (2018). Red Streamers, is a bilingual book, 2019, from Editura Pim and is available direct from the author.

 

See the Books page for further purchase information.