Manal Al-Sheikh and Mazen Maarouf, two poets living in exile in Scandinavia, appear in the Al Jazeera-produced documentary series Poets of Protest, directed by British filmmaker Roxana Vilk.  The series focuses on six Middle Eastern authors and the relationship of their work to initiatives for democracy and social justice across the Middle East. Alsheikh and Maarouf will participate in the event “Applied Words: Voices of Protest,” cosponsored by WWB, which will include screenings of two short films in the series and a reading and discussion of their work.  We’re pleased to present their poetry in this issue.