Somali Days

Somali literature, poetry and identity

In 2017, the House of Literature turns ten, and to begin our ten year anniversary, we dedicate the first weekend in May to new Somali literature.

Recently, many have discovered the new wave of young writers, musicians and artists with roots from Somalia, living in other parts of the world. They articulate the experience of straddling different cultures, and the often complex and challenging relationship to the “motherland”. At the same time, they are creating new standards for how to write literature, and carry on their history and culture, they incorporate new themes into their art. Many of these new voices have reached a wide audience, not least has Beyoncé’s cooperation with the poet Warsan Shire added to the attention around writers and poets from the diaspora.

So what does it mean to be Somali today, and how is the new generation influencing the literature? During these Somali days at the House of Literature, these questions will be discussed by invited writers and intellectuals.

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