His Hands Were Gentle: Selected Lyrics of Víctor Jara

His Hands Were Gentle brings together, for the first time in both Spanish and English, the best of Víctor Jara's lyrics, from early songs like 'El arado' ('The Plow') to 'Estadio Chile' ('In the Stadium'), written in the hours before his execution.

With a Preface by the actress and screenwriter Emma Thompson. Click on Extracts above to read the Preface in full, for free.

"For me, Victor was everything an activist-musician should be."
Emma Thompson

"As long as we sing his songs, as long as his courage can inspire us to greater courage, Víctor Jara will never die."
Pete Seeger, American folk-singer

Víctor Jara (1932-73) was a legendary Chilean singer, songwriter, guitarist and theatre director. A leader of the New Song Movement, in the aftermath of the military coup of 1973, Jara was arrested, imprisoned and executed.

Martín Espada has published more than fifteen books as a poet, editor, essayist and translator, including the poetry collection Crucifixion in the Plaza de Armas (Smokestack, 2008).