Riana — Paul Smith

~RIANA~ A Novel by Paul Smith Riana is a classic love story, thriller and drama set in the underworld of poets, musicians and criminals in Oxford Street and Kings Cross in Sydney. It tells Riana Johnson, renowned for her dark beauty and independence; her notorious friend Larson, drug-dealer, poet and murderer and his ruthless gang headed by Fleming; O'Reilly the old drug pusher; Francis Lynburger, brilliant violinist and womanizer; Bannajee, corrupt big businessman bewitched by Riana; Fontaine and his Poetry Band and his son Rimbaud, dreamer and poet/singer in love with Riana and life; Trish, hopelessly in love with Rimbaud and her brother Charlie in love with heavy-metal, drugs and death. From Sydney's Roxy ‘Nite Club and low-life cafes and alleys and bars and striptease joints, to a mansion in Palm Beach; from the blues club Blackbird's to the famous Gay Mardi Gras, their stories intertwine as lovers break hearts and criminals break heads… all guided by Fate that seems cruel, yet in the heart-wrenching, colourfulmagnificent climax… ironically true to life! 195 pages. COMMENTS ON PAUL SMITH'S TRANSLATION OF HAFIZ'S ‘DIVAN'. “It is not a joke... the English version of ALL the ghazals of Hafiz is a great feat and of paramount importance. I am astonished. If he comes to Iran I will kiss the fingertips that wrote such a masterpiece inspired by the Creator of all.” Dr. Mir Mohammad Taghavi (Dr. of Literature) Tehran. “Superb translations. 99% Hafiz 1% Paul Smith.” Ali Akbar Shapurzman, translator of works in English into Persian and knower of Hafiz's Divan off by heart. “I was very impressed with the beauty of these books.” Dr. R.K. Barz. Faculty of Asian Studies, Australian National University. “Smith has probably put together the greatest collection of literary facts and history concerning Hafiz.” Daniel Ladinsky (Penguin Books author). Paul Smith is a poet, author and translator of over 80 books of Sufi poets of the Persian, Arabic, Urdu, Turkish, Pashtu and other languages… including Hafiz, Sadi, Nizami, Rumi, ‘Attar, Sana'i, Jahan Khatun, Obeyd Zakani, Nesimi, Kabir, Anvari, Ansari, Jami, Khayyam, Rudaki, Yunus Emre and many others, as well as poetry, fiction, plays, biographies, children's books and screenplays.