In the history of letters, Abu al-Faraj al-Isfahani is one of the names that keeps being returned to.
The record lists Abu al-Faraj al-Isfahani as Arab historian, writer, poet and musicologist (897–967).
Abu al-Faraj al-Isfahani was born at Isfahan in 897. His recorded nationality is Abbasid Caliphate.
Manuscript culture meant a text travelled only as fast as scribes could copy it, and often changed as it went.
He worked as poet, historian and literary scholar.
The writing is recorded in Arabic.
His best-known work is Kitab al-Aghani. A writer's real subject usually becomes visible only across the whole body of work.
That the work was written from Abbasid Caliphate matters: language, censorship and the reach of a publishing industry decide which books travel and which stay local.
Abu al-Faraj al-Isfahani died in 967, aged 70. The books remain, which is the only durable form a writing life takes.
Achievements
- Notable work: Kitab al-Aghani
