Hawa Jibril Waa taa Quruxdii - Behold The Beauty (Translated in English)
http://... in 1920, Hawa Jibril has composed poems in the oral tradition of her culture since she was 12, exploring the impact of war, nation-building and dramatic changes in women's roles that have marked Somalia's development. We celebrate the release of her first book, which links oral&written literature to the political and social forces of traditional culture, colonialism, feminism and national liberation.The title of the book - And Then She Said, Saa Waxay Tiri - comes from a Somali ritual phrase that is used to introduce a poet (usually male). Hawa's book does indeed draw us into a captivating tale, crossing time and space - from camel herding to gun battles, from desert shrubs to city streets, from the boldness of youth to the sorrow and wisdom of age, from Mogadishu's turmoil to a Toronto high-rise -- as one woman's life and poems speak for thousands of others who, like Hawa Jibril, have braved perilous bridges, adapted and changed, and ended up living, with often un-noticed talents and distinctions, in our own Canadian cities.
This event was a Book Reading event at Columbus State University (Columbus, Ohio)
