In 2006 Naomi Shihab Nye wrote: "Agi Mishol's poems feel perfectly weighted. Her mix of honest empathy and care and elegant wit is deeply touching and enlivening."
She says a visit to her grandmother in the village of Sinjil was a life-changing experience...
A number of other prominent academics have played key roles in translating for the project, including Naomi Shihab Nye.
Naomi Shihab Nye, whose paternal grandfather's family was from Sinjil, stayed there in 1966, aged 14, and recalls her sojourn as having a formative influence on her poetics.
Naomi Campbell | Naomi Watts | Naomi Klein | Joseph Nye | Bill Nye | Naomi Shihab Nye | Sayed Umerali Shihab Thangal | Oslo Nye Teater | Bill Nye the Science Guy | Nye County, Nevada | Naomi Wolf | Naomi Folkard | Crystal, Nye County, Nevada | Syed Sadiqali Shihab Thangal | Sayyid Abbasali Shihab Thangal | Nye | Nelson C. Nye | Naomi Shemer | Sayed Hyderali Shihab Thangal | Rachel Naomi Remen | Nye County | Naomi Wallace | Naomi Uemura | Naomi Long Madgett | Naomi Long | Naomi Judd | Naomi Jakobsson | Naomi Chiaki | Naomi | Glenn Nye |
Past judges of the BLR competitions have included Marie Howe, Rick Moody, Richard Selzer, Rafael Campo, Amy Hempel, Sherwin Nuland, Edward Hirsch, Ray Gonzalez, Abraham Verghese, Naomi Shihab Nye, Rosellen Brown, Natalie Angier, Gail Godwin, Phillip Lopate and Tony Hoagland.