If you were to choose 4-7 titles that would represent, to you, the most interesting books (perhaps experimental, challenging, or influential in some way) written by Sudanese writers in the last 10 years, what would they be? And (perhaps more importantly) why?
We launch this section with a discussion of the exciting new voices with Sudanese authors, an overview of Sudanese women’s writing, and a list of Sudanese literature available in English. Coming later this week, we have short stories by Fatima as-Sanoussi and Ibrahim Ishag, and poetry by Mughira Harbya.
“The books that used to be officially banned in the ousted surveillance state, like those of the acclaimed Sudanese novelist Abdelaziz Baraka Saki, and the bold investigative journalist and writer Fathi al-Daw, were supposed to reclaim their place in the shelves of the book fair.”
Nine vibrant, world-stitching (and un-stitching) short stories by Sudanese and South Sudanese women in English translation.
Last week Sudan bid farewell to two of its most iconic figures: poet Mohammed Taha Al-Gaddal and novelist, short-story writer, and critic Eisa Al-Hilo. Both have helped shape Sudan’s literary scene over the past five decades.
“When it turns to a blaze, / Nura turns to a breeze; / making the rounds, / offering the starving a bite, / the thirsty a sip[.]”
“The novel begins across a rural context, in a small impoverished village full of mystery, rituals, and superstition, and it ends in a jam-packed city with all its complications.”
Khair’s shows make the slow-paced town and the dilapidated, decayed and history-laden theatre building pulse with energy and life, pumping lifeblood into the underfunded and cash-starved local performance arts.
For that reason, Wardi’s words have been at the forefront of the current Sudanese revolution. He’s recalled as a strong example of a great artist who proved strong and steadfast in opinions, words, and actions. His revolutionary-themed pieces, which document crucial chapters of Sudanese history, have been used as rallies’ chants and played on the sit-in site loudspeakers.
