The first-ever Mogadishu International Book Fair bringing together guests from within Somalia and all around the world to Somalia’s capital will happen next week from Aug 26-28 at the City Palace Hotel. The festival aimed at stimulating the revival of all forms of art and human expression in Somali society will feature creative writing, storytelling, poetry, oratory, drama, art, and photography.
Looking at the speakers who are set to speak, I have to say that my ignorance of the Somali literary scene. They include Saida Sh. Ahmed, Ahmed Farah Ali (Idaajaa), Said Salah Ahmed, Professor Abdalla Mansur, Hamda Mohamed H. Egal, Sahra Koshin, Sh. Ahmed ‘Johari’ Bilal, Mohamed Abdullahi Artan, Mohamed Sh. Hassan, Said M. Shire (Suugaan), Ahmed-Keyse Ali Roble, Rashid Ali, Muna M. Diriye, Dr. Said Ali Shire, Zahra Qorane Omar, Yusuf Garaad Omar, Dr. Ibrahim Farah among others.
The only name familiar to me is Sahro Ahmed Koshin who launched her poetry collection in Nairobi last night. For the rest, there shall be a helluva lot of googling to see who they are and what they have written.
For more information, you can follow the festival on Twitter at @MogBF
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