Emdad Rahman: Splitting the Moon tracks scholar and author Dr Joel Hayward’s intriguing journey into Islam, his fascination with the mysteries of faith, his experiences and observations as a western Muslim, and his thoughts on the state of the Ummah (Islamic community) today. He writes his poetry to capture events each day in the way that some people keep a diary. They are therefore deeply personal, yet reflect the ever-changing world around him. In Splitting the moon, Joel Hayward has created a splendid compilation of poetic verses. The thought provoking poems allow the reader to be drawn into the author’s depiction of dear memories and events of note. It will rouse the senses and allow each individual to uniquely analyse and weigh up the effects at first hand. Many of the inventive episodes will resonate with the reader and provoke a heightened sense of wellbeing, frankness and even anxiety. The distinction within this collection is the comparable similarities between real life experiences, hopes and storytelling. The book portrays many virtues, chief among them are ebullience and optimism, forthrightness and candour. Readers browsing the content will endure a variety of sentiments. Hayward’s work infuses the senses and offers an elucidation and extension to certain perceptions that we hold. As an individual who greatly enjoys the creative aspects of the penned word I thoroughly recommend this collection. After completing my reading I am reminded that there is something noteworthy in the example of Edgar Allan Poe, who made a case that: “words have no power to impress the mind without the exquisite horror of their reality.” Dr Joel Hayward is a scholar, author and poet. As of 1st January 2012, he is currently a Senior Fellow at the Markfield Institute of Higher Education. His career highlights include having been the Dean of the Royal Air Force College for five years, a Director of the Royal Air Force Centre for Air Power Studies for four years, and the Head of King’s College London’s Air Power Studies Division for six years. Dr Hayward has also been the lead air power academic for King’s MA, Air Power in the Modern World, which was the UK’s first specialist degree programme in air power studies. He is also honoured to be Professor of Strategy (Adjunct) at the Indonesian Defense University in Jakarta. Further, he is an “expert” contributor to Think Africa Press. As well as specialising in international conflict and security issues, Hayward is also very interested in, and has for many years been directly involved in, the delivery of applied leadership education.
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