Xasan Daahir Ismaaciil ‘Weedhsame’ is widely regarded as one of the most promising young Somali poets of his generation. Thanks to his close relationship with leading poet Maxamed Xaashi Dhamac ‘Gaarriye’, Weedhsame is steeped in the long and complex history of Somali poetry and, as a notably gifted practitioner, is committed to continuing its traditions. […]
Born in 1986, Mostafa Ibrahim is considered one of Egypt’s most exciting young poets and has been lauded by the country’s two leading colloquial poets, Abdel-Rahman Al-Abnudi and the late Ahmed Fuad Negm. His first collection of poems, Western Union, Haram, came out in January 2011 (just before the ‘Arab Spring’). His second collection of […]
Bahareh Rezaei is a poet and literary critic who was born in 1978 in Roodsar, Iran. Having discovered a passion for poetry when she was very young, she began writing seriously when she was fifteen. Since then, she has worked as a literary editor, literary agent and as a judge in poetry festivals. She has […]
Rashid El Sheikh migrated from Sudan to the UK in 1991 as a political refugee. He obtained a diploma in International Studies from Birkbeck College and an MA in Cultural Policy Management from City University. He is Senior Coordinator of the International Relations Department at the Wellington Hospital in London.
Prize-winning poet and short-story writer, Tea Topuria was born in 1977 in Sochumi, Georgia. In 1998 she graduated from the faculty of Journalism at Tbilisi State University. In addition to her poetry collection Ecocide, Tea has published a number of highly acclaimed books of short stories including The Mint Threshing Floor, The Book of Tales, […]
Mohammad Bagher Kolahi Ahari was born in 1950 in Mashhad, Khorasan. His first collection Above the Four Elements was published in 1977. He published six more collections of poetry. Kolahi has developed his distinct voice inspired by lyrical and elegiac traditions of Persian poetry combined with his story-telling talent. Many of Kolahi’s poems contain a […]
Abdul Bari Jahani is considered to be one of the most famous contemporary poets of Pashto language. He was born in Kandahar, southern Afghanistan, in 1948 and got his BA degree from Kabul University’s Faculty of Literature in 1972. He was the editor of Kabul magazine. Two years before the Soviet invasion he was appointed […]
Mujib Mehrdad is an established poet of the younger generation who writes free verse and is highly respected both as a poet and as a scholar. You can foillow him on twitter here.
The poet, Rahmat Shah Sayel, is also a political activist campaigning through his poetry for the rights of his fellow Pashtoons. Pashtoons (Pakhtoons/Pakhtuns), also known as Afghans, Pathans, are the largest ethnic group in Afghanistan and the second biggest in Pakistan. He was born in the Dargai village of Wartier in Malakand Agency, Pakistan. At […]
Born in 1986, in a remote village of Khevsureti in high mountainous region of Georgia, with only 50 inhabitants, is a rising star of contemporary Georgian literature scene. After graduating secondary school Lia moved to capital city and entered Georgia State University of Theatre and Film, majoring in movie directing. For a short period of […]