Love: The Joy That Wounds The Love Poems Of Rumi Calligraphy by Lassaad Metoui Published by Souvenir Press Ltd Price:                £9.99

It’s one giant leap from the often trashy offerings Hollywood is trying to seduce us with to this beautiful ancient collection of love poems.  Rumi was born in Persia in 1211 and still his poems are a mystery. Are they addressed to his mentor, to a lover or to God? Reflecting the complexities of passion and faith, they are poems of remarkable power and emotional intensity, with an exuberant imagination and rhythms that echo the ecstatic dance of the whirling dervishes.  The exquisite calligraphy of Lassaad Metoui, the most renowned Arabic illustrator of his generation, gives meaning and enhances Rumi's thoughts on love.  This is a beautifully produced little book well worth pride of place in anybodies collection of poems.  You need never be stuck for something to write in your Valentine card ever again.