In this event we will explore facets of Somali literature that have historically been overlooked or not given full attention, with a focus on Banaadiri poetry and women’s literature. Ibrahim Hirsi will present an in-depth exploration of Banaadiri poetic culture, metre, and verse, drawing on six years of research. Ibrahim’s presentation will highlight the diverse forms and styles of Banaadiri poetry, the transition from traditional to contemporary poetic expressions, and lightly touch on the marginalisation of Banaadiri poetry within Somali literary traditions and the invaluable contributions of Banaadiri literature to the broader Somali poetic discourse. Luul Kulmiso will then present research from a paper titled "Suugaan Curinta Haweenka Soomaalida (Somali Women's Poetry Composition)."
Ibrahim Hirsi is a young poet, writer, archivist, and editor at Journal Gobanimo. He is the co-founder of Koor Archives and is currently working on a monograph titled "Banaadiri and Shabeelle Oral Poetics: Metre and the Transformation of Verse" which explores the metrical patterns of southern Somali poetic forms. His work has appeared in The Poetry Review, Modern Poetry in Translation, PBLJ, and in the anthology Before Them, We (Flipped Eye, 2022).
Lul Arawelo Kulmiye is a human rights and gender equity activist, and translator. She is a founding member of Somali Gender Equity Movement (SGEM).
Language: English
