Maxamed Xaashi Dhamac 'Gaarriye' Poems
Maxamed Xaashi Dhamac 'Gaarriye' was born in 1949 in Hargeysa, where he still lives. Since the 1970s he has been regarded as one of the leading Somali poets. His poetry is of overwhelming importance to the Somali people and he composes on a great variety of topics, from Nelson Mandela to nuclear weapons.
W N Herbert's most recent collection, Bad Shaman Blues (Bloodaxe, 2006), was shortlisted for the TS Eliot and Saltire prizes. He is currently working on a book of translations of contemporary Chinese poetry with Yang Lian.
Martin Orwin, Senior Lecturer in Somali and Amharic at SOAS, has been researching Somali literature and culture since the early 1990s. He works closely with the Somali writer and journalist, Maxamed Xasan 'Alto'.
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