Hargeisa International Book Fair

Last updated
Hargeisa International Book Fair
StatusActive
GenreMulti-genre
VenueHargeysa Cultural Centre Hall
Location(s) Hargeisa, Somaliland
Country Somaliland
Inaugurated2008
Attendance10,000
Organized byRedsea Online Culture Foundation
Website www.hargeysabookfair.com

The Hargeisa International Book Fair (HIBF) (Somali : Bandhigga Caalamiga ah ee Buugaagta Hargeysa) is an annual cultural event in the republic of Somaliland. It is one of the largest public book fairs in the Horn of Africa. Every summer, HIBF brings writers, poets, artists and thinkers from Somaliland and from all over the world gather to share and discuss their art and literary productions with a wider audience. The main goal of the festival is to promote a culture of reading and writing in the region by producing and publishing high quality Somali literature and translating international classical literature (including fiction, poetry and drama) into Somali. Organized by the Redsea Online Culture Foundation, the event aims to enable young people to access a range of cultural heritages, with the intention of stimulating the revival of all forms of art and human expression, including painting, poetry reciting, story-telling, drama composition and writing. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]

Contents

12th Hargeysa International Book Fair (20-25 July 2019) ASC Leiden - van de Bruinhorst Collection - Somaliland 2019 - 4504 - A panel discussion at the Hargeysa 12th International Book Fair 20-25 July 2019.jpg
12th Hargeysa International Book Fair (20-25 July 2019)

History

Origins

The Hargeisa International Book Fair was inaugurated in 2008 by Jama Musse Jama, who serves as Director. [6] It grew from 200 to 10,000 participants over the following six years.

Significance

HIBF targets not only a young audience, but wider sectors of society. It aims to help foster cultural understanding, tolerance, democracy, and an appreciation of the diversity of Somali culture and literature. In the past few years, the Redsea Online Culture Foundation's festivals have served to raise the profile of reading and writing in the Somaliland region, and also unite youth from different provinces in the area. The main goal of the book fair is to promote critically thinking cultural and creative writing, to facilitate the habit of reading, to display books, from both local and writers abroad, to encourage members in the public to browse, read, engage with authors, serve as an inspiration to young people, and the wider society.

Parallel events and joint ventures

Somaliland Moving Library: The Moving Library Tour is the Book Fair's flagship outreach event. An exciting initiative, it takes place a week before the opening of the festival in Hargeisa and is held across all regions of Somaliland. It aims to bring the ethos and principles of the Book Fair – of citizenship and creative freedoms – closer to aspiring writers and readers outside of the city.

Guests of honour and themes

YearGuest of honourFocus of interestTheme of the yearMotto
2008 Freedom Theme: FreedomGobannimo bilaash maaha (Freedom is not for free)
2009 Censorship Theme: CensorshipThe power of the written word
2010, July 23-27 Citizenship Theme: CitizenshipGive me books, not bombs
2011 Collective memory Theme: Collective memoriesIf you love me, give me a book as a gift
2012 Djibouti Djiboutian literature Theme: FutureFaralaab ka dhigo buug (make a book your companion)
2013 United Kingdom British literature Theme: Journey
2014, August 8-13 Malawi Theme: ImaginationSet Your Imaginations Free, Higher Still, And Still Higher
2015, August 1-6 Nigeria Theme: Spaces
2016, July 23-28 Ghana Theme: Leadership
2017, July 22-27 South Africa Theme: Connectivity
2018, July 21-26 Rwanda Theme: Wisdom
2019, July 20-25 Egypt Theme: Coexistence

See also

Notes

  1. "Somaliland: Hargeisa International Book Fair: A Growing Nation of Books and Literature". Somaliland Standard. 26 July 2018. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
  2. "Somaliland: Vice-President Sayli Opens Hargeisa International Book Fair". Somaliland Sun. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
  3. "Somaliland: 12th Edition of Hargeisa International Book Fair Kicks Off". Horn Diplomat. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
  4. "11th book fair underway in Somaliland to reclaim cultural identity". Africa News. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
  5. "Somaliland : Visualizing the Future with the Hargeisa International Book Fair". Afri Cultures. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
  6. "Announcement: 2010 Hargeysa International Book Fair (HIBF) 23rd of July to the 27th of July 2010 in Hargeysa". Baadiya. Archived from the original on 1 February 2014. Retrieved 18 January 2014.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Music of Somalia</span>

The Music of the Somali people is music following the musical styles, techniques and sounds of the Somali people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hargeisa</span> Capital and most populous city of Somaliland

Hargeisa is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Somaliland, a de facto sovereign state in the Horn of Africa, still considered internationally to be part of Somalia. It is also the regional capital of the Maroodi Jeex region of Somaliland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Isaaq</span> Somali clan family

The Isaaq is a major Somali clan. It is one of the largest Somali clan families in the Horn of Africa, with a large and densely populated traditional territory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">World Book Capital</span> UNESCO award for cities promoting books

The World Book Capital (WBC) is an initiative of UNESCO which recognises cities for promoting books and fostering reading for a year starting on April 23, World Book and Copyright Day. Cities designated as UNESCO World Book Capital carry out activities with the aim of encouraging a culture of reading in all ages and sharing UNESCO's values. The nomination does not provide a financial prize.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hadrawi</span> Somalilander poet (1943–2022)

Mohamed Ibrahim Warsame, known by the pseudonym Hadrawi, was a Somali poet, philosopher and songwriter. Having written many notable protest works, Hadrawi has been likened by some to Shakespeare, and his poetry has been translated into various languages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Somali literature</span>

Somali literature is the literature used by the ethnic Somalis of Somalia, Somaliland, Djibouti, Yemen, Eritrea, Ogadenia, and Kenya.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Hargeisa</span>

The University of Hargeisa is a public university located in Hargeisa, Somaliland. The institution was founded in 1998. It is the leading and largest higher education institution in the country and provides a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses in different fields.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jama Musse Jama</span> Somali ethnomathematician and author (born 1967

Jama Musse Jama is a prominent Somali ethnomathematician and author. He is notable for his research on traditional Somali boardgames such as Shax.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nadifa Mohamed</span> Somali-British novelist (born 1981)

Nadifa Mohamed is a Somali-British novelist. She featured on Granta magazine's list "Best of Young British Novelists" in 2013, and in 2014 on the Africa39 list of writers aged under 40 with potential and talent to define future trends in African literature. Her 2021 novel, The Fortune Men, was shortlisted for the 2021 Booker Prize, making her the first British Somali novelist to get this honour. She has also written short stories, essays, memoirs and articles in outlets including The Guardian, and contributed poetry to the anthology New Daughters of Africa. Mohamed was also a lecturer in Creative Writing in the Department of English at Royal Holloway, University of London until 2021. She became Distinguished Writer in Residence at New York University in Spring 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Samo ku waar</span> National anthem of Somaliland

"Samo ku waar" is the national anthem of Somaliland, a self-declared republic that is internationally recognized as an autonomous region of Somalia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gaariye</span> Somali poet and political activist

Mohamed Hashi Dhamac better known as Gaarriye, was a Somali poet and political activist. He belonged to the Makahiil sub-division of Sa'ad Musa sub-clan of the Habr Awal Isaaq clan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Horn Cable Television</span> Television channel

Horn Cable TV (HCTV) is a Somali news-based private television channel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bernice Chauly</span>

Bernice Chauly is Malaysian writer, poet, educator, festival director, actor, photographer and filmmaker.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Book fairs in South Africa</span>

Book fairs and literary festivals are held throughout South Africa each year to promote literacy among children and adults. A country's literacy rate is often a key social indicator of development. In 2005, UNESCO Institute for Statistics reported a literacy rate of 94.37% among the population aged 15 years and older. The literacy rate among the male population in this age group was 95.4% and 93.41 for female counterparts. According to Statistics South Africa, functional illiteracy among those aged 20 years or older, was recorded at 15.4% in 2005. This has improved from 2002's 27.3%. Women are more likely to be functionally illiterate across all age groups, apart from those aged between 20 and 39 years old.

Events of 2020 in Somaliland.

Events of 2018 in Somaliland.

Events of 2016 in Somaliland.

Ahmed Ibrahim Awale is a Somali environmentalist, and author. He is an environmentalist with more than several decades of experience. He is the chairman of the Somaliland Biodiversity Foundation, as well as Candlelight for Environment, Education, and Health. He also lectures on environmental science at the University of Hargeysa and is the author of several books including, Environment in Crisis: selected essays on the Somali environment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Isaaq Sultanate</span> 1750–1884 northern Somali kingdom

The Isaaq Sultanate was a Muslim sultanate that ruled parts of the Horn of Africa in the 18th and 19th centuries. The kingdom spanned the territories of the Isaaq clan in modern-day Somaliland. It was governed by the Rer Guled branch of the Garhajis clan and is the pre-colonial predecessor to the modern Republic of Somaliland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ibrahim Megag Samatar</span> Somali politician

Ibrahim Megag Samatar was a Somali politician and economist.

References