Somali Literature

This is not meant to be an exhaustive list of Somali Literature. It is only a listing of the Somali Literature I have in my possession. Please inform me of any links that are not functioning.

Abdi Sheik Abdi

Tales of Punt: Somali Folktales (Collection)

Cawo Abdi

Convergence of Civil War and the Religious Right: Reimagining Somali Women (Article available online)

The New Age of Security: Implications for Refugees and Displaced Persons in the Horn of Africa (Article available online)

In Limbo: Dependency, Insecurity, and Identity amongst Somali Refugees in Dadaab Camps (Article available online)

Alisa Ahlam

The Arab Season (Novel)

Interview (2011) available online

Ali Jimale Ahmed

The Somali Oral Tradition and the Role of Storytelling in Somalia (Essay available online)

Maryan Omar Ali

Hassan Sheikh Muumin: The Hoobal as Creator, Preserver, and Social Critic of the National Heritage (Essay with Lidwien Kapteijns available online)

Women’s Voices in a Man’s World: Women and the Pastoral Tradition in Northnern Somali Orature c. 1899-1980 (Literature Studies written with Lidwien Kapteijns)

Interview (2008) with Ahmed I. Samatar available online

Ayaan Ali Hirsi

Infidel (Memoir)

Mulki Al-Sharmani

Transnational Somali Families in Cairo (Essay available online)

Islamic Feminism and Reforming Muslim Family Laws (Essay available online)

Family Courts in Egypt (Paper available online)

Refugees in Egypt: Transit Migrants (Essay available online)

Navigating Refugee Life (Article available online)

Egypt’s Family Courts: route to empowerment? (Article available online)

Islam and Feminism (Response available online)

Video Interview (2010) available online

Aman

Aman: The Story of a Somali Girl (Memoir as told to Virginia Lee Barnes and Janice Boddy)

Farah Mohamed Jama Awl

Ignorance is the Enemy of Love (Novel, translated from the original Somali by B.W. Andrzejewski) The Woyingi Blogger’s Review

Waris Dirie

Desert Flower (Memoir)

Website of the Waris Dirie Foundation

Nuruddin Farah

From a Crooked Rib (Novel) Penguin Reading Guide available online

Variations on the Theme of an African Dictatorship Trilogy (Novels)

Sweet and Sour Milk, Sardines, Close Sesame

Blood on the Sun Trilogy (Novels)

Maps, Secrets, Gifts

Current Trilogy (Novels)

Links, Knots

The Family House (Article available online)

Praise the Marines? I Suppose So (Article available online)

Interview (2004) by Kwame Anthony Appiah available online

Interview (2001) by Ahmed Samatar available online

The Personal and the Political: The Case of Nuruddin Farah by K. Petersen (essay available online)

Nomads and Feminists: The Novels of Nuruddin Farah by G. H. Moore (essay available online)

Mahmood Gaildon

The Yibir of Las Burgabo (Novel)

Review of The Yibir of Las Burgabo by A. I. Yusuf (article available online)

Jama Mohamed Ghalib

The Cost of Dictatorship: The Somali Experience (Memoir)

Security and Reconciliation in Post-Conflict Society: The Matter of Closing the Books in South Africa and Somalia (Essay with Janis Grobbelaar available online)

Saida Hagi-Dirie Herzi

Government by Magic Spell (Short Story available online) The Woyingi Blogger’s Review

Inheritance: Kinship and the Performance of Sudanese Identities by R. Lorins (dissertation available online)

Ahmed Ali Ilmi

My Journey, Our Journey, Their Journey: The “Say-Walahi” Generation (Social Studies Thesis available online)

Zainab Mohamed Jama

Silent Voices: The Role of Somali Women’s Poetry in Social and Political Life (Essay available online)

Hawa Jibril

The Life and Poetry of Hawa Jibril (Poetry in Somali, with English Translations by Faduma Alim)

Refugees in Canada (Poem available online in Somali and English) Alternate Link

Article about the play Bridge of One Hair based on the life of Hawa Jibril

Fadumo Korn

Born in the Big Rains (Memoir)

Yasmeen Maxamuud

Nomad Diaries (Novel) Excerpt available online

Website for the novel Nomad Diaries

Amina Mire

In/Through the Bodies of Women: Rethinking Gender in African Politics (Essay available online)

Pigmentation and Empire : The Emerging Skin-Whitening Industry (Article available online)

Skin-Whitening and Sociology (Article available online)

A Euro-Vision of Beauty (Article available online)

Skin-Bleaching: Poison, Beauty, Power, and the Politics of the Colour Line (Essay available online)

Return of the Warlords (Article available online)

Ayaan Hirsi Ali: Colonial fantasies, veiled Muslim virgins and Viagra Part 1 and Part 2 (Articles available online)

Interview (2008) available online

Jama Mohamed

Kinship and Contract in Somali Politics (Essay available online)

The Political Ecology of Colonial Somaliland (Essay available online)

Nadifa Mohamed

Black Mamba Boy (Novel)

Video Interview (2009) available online

Audio Interview (2010) with BBC’s Women’s Hour available online

Hassan Sheikh Mumin

Leopard Among the Women (Shabeelnaagood) (Play translated from Somali by B.W. Andrzejewski)

Hassan Sheikh Muumin: The Hoobal as Creator, Preserver, and Social Critic of the National Heritage by Maryan Omar Ali with Lidwien Kapteijns (academic essay available online)

Rageh Omaar

Only Half of Me (Memoir) Excerpt available online

Ahmed I. Samatar

The Porcupine Dilemma: Governance and Transition in Somalia (Essay available online)

Beginning Again: From Refugee to Citizen (Essay available online)

Musings on Global Citizenship (Essay available online)

A Virtuosic Touch: Hodeide, a Life with the Oud and More (Essay available online)

Interview (2008) with PBS available online

Website of Bildhaan: International Journal of Somali Studies (Edited by Ahmed I. Samatar)

Said Samatar

My Dostoyevsky Syndrome: How I Escaped Being a Self-Hating Somali (Essay available online)

The Islamic Courts and Ethiopia’s Intervention in Somalia: Redemption or Adventurism? (Lecture available online)

Remembering B.W. Andrzejewski : Poland’s Somali Genius (Essay available online)

Somalia: A Country Study, Chapter 1 Historical Setting, Chapter 2 The Society and Its Environment (Reference Work available online from The Library of Congress)

Can Ethiopia lead the Horn of Africa to Peace and Prosperity (Speech available online)

Interview (2005) by Ahmed I. Samatar available online

Interview (2006) with Democracy Now available online

Interview (2006) with CNN available online

Interview (2009) with CNN available online

Hassan Ghedi Santur

Something Remains (Novel)

The New Expats (Article available online)

Hassan Ghedi Santur’s Blog

Mahamud M. Yahya

In Siyaad Barre’s Prison: A Brief Recollection (Essay available online)