We are very excited to have Ali Sugule launch Somali Week Festival. Ali Sugule, a living legend who has been at the heart of the Somali artistic and cultural scene for more than half a century, has many talents producing works as a song writer, music composer, poet and playwright. Abdiqadir Abdi 'Shube' and Adan Tarabi are also both very famous poets and will treat the audience with a recital from their work during the opening of the festival. Some will know Adan Tarabi as the poet who concluded the renowned Deelley poetry sequence that was started by Mahamed Haashi Dhamac 'Gaarriye' and Mahamed Ibrahim Warsame 'Hadraawi', two past guests of Somali Week.

The Festival is all about gobannimo and so on this opening night, we will not only highlight and explore the importance of tolerance but also promote the idea that only free, liberated individuals can develop a culture of tolerance and a deep sense of personal responsibility. The theme will be introduced by Jama Musse Jama, the author of Gobannimo Bilaash Maaha (roughly translated as .Freedom Is Not Free.), which won the Book of the Year Award by the Somaliland Writers' Association. In his book, Jama has successfully treated this theme in relation to freedom, nationality, society, civil liberties and most importantly, how one.s personal liberties relate to other people's liberties. As part of our inter-generational approach, Rashiid Gadhwayne, Abdilahi Bootaan, Mohamed Rashid, Martin Owen and Yusuf Shaacir together with young artists will present their ideas on this very complex notion of gobannimo.

We will close the evening with music and dance.
Fee £6

Friday, 10 October
5:30 - 8pm: Anglo-Somali Society - The position of minorities in Somali Society

This event will feature two presentations. Mohamed Osman Omar will speak on the subject of .The Role of Benadiris in Society; Politics, Religion, Trade and Culture.. The second speaker (still to be announced) will talk about .The Plight and History of the Midgan Community.. There will also be a presentation on the Hawa Abdi Hospital, near Mogadishu.

Cost per head (towards supper and hire of hall) will be £7.50 (£5.50 for students/unwaged).

Friday, 10 October
8 - 11pm: Fusion night; Music, film, poetry and comedy

Traditional Somali music featuring Hudaydi (the King of the Lute), Dararamle, Joohkle and Abdifataah Yare. Also featured are Prince Abdi, the only Somali comic working in the UK and the young, unique Abdi Bahdoon, also known as Book of Rhymes. Talented young Somali woman, Warsan Shire will recite her poetry, and the film Waa Kuma Hadraawi, a documentary about the life of Mahamed Ibrahim Warsame 'Hadraawi', will also be shown by Ali Jama Ahmed (Documentary maker) . The evening will be facilitated by Michael Walls of University College London. Fee £5

Saturday, 11 October
1 - 5pm: Ali Sugule - readings from his work followed by Q & A session

Ali Sugule is a distinguished playwright and lyricist whose creativity has spanned almost half a century. He has inspired the Somali people with his patriotic lyrics and far-sighted words at the time of independence and beyond. Although Sugule is the most senior Somali playwright, songwriter and poet, he is at the same time one of the most understood and accessible. He uses language in a way that everyone can understand. Sugule.s presence will be a great opportunity for younger audiences to connect with and understand their heritage. The event will be facilitated by Jama Musse Jama, author and co-author of six books, two of them on African traditional games and including the Somaliland Writers' Association Book of the Year Gobannimo Bilaash Maaha (roughly translated as .Freedom Is Not Free.).
Fee £10

Saturday, 11 October
7 . 11pm: Music with Hassan Adan Samatar, Aar and Jihan

Hassan Adan is one of the biggest Somali singers, known as the King of the Stage. He has been in the industry for the last 40 years, and now lives in the Netherlands. On this occasion, he will be performing with Aar and Jihan. Aar is a talented solo artist who, having dedicated his debut album Maanta ('Today') to raising awareness about the plight of the Somali people, touched many young Somalis. hearts and minds. His current album Hiddo is an incredible artistic feat and we are proud to announce that it will have its UK premiere at Oxford House. Jihan is an amazing vocal artist. She is a London-based talent who has been wooing audiences with her renditions of songs using different Somali dialects. Expect an unforgettable event promising a smooth blend of melody and harmony.

Fee £10

Sunday, 12 October
1 - 6pm: The Somali Artist as an Agent of Peace:

This is a day of Somali poetry, music, book presentation and literary discussion all focusing on the role of Somali art and literature in promoting peace and understanding. The event is organised by Halabuur Centre for Culture and Communication in the Horn of Africa in partnership with Oxford House. The day will feature the work of three leading poets from the Horn of Africa: the highly acclaimed poet, playwright and actor Abdi Muhumad Amiin, Abdulkadir Abdi Yusuf .Shube. a very famous poet, actor and expert in Somali oral tradition and Yusuf Shaacir, a young but highly talented poet and collector of oral tradition.

The day.s programme is a rich combination of four different components: a panel discussion, poetry recitation, book presentation and music. The panel discussion will focus on the theme .Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow: the Somali Poet as an Agent of Peace.. The participants will include the above visiting poets and other scholars including Rashid Sheikh Abdillahi .Gadhweyne., Said Jama Hussein and Mohamed Bashe H. Hassan. The panel will be convened and introduced by Maxamed Daahir Afrax, writer and Director of the Halabuur Centre.

The day will conclude with a performance of Somali music and poetry presented by London-based artists led by former members of 4 Mars from Djibouti, including Xadanteeye and Kaltuun Bacado.
Fee £6

Sunday, 12 October
7 - 11pm: Music with Nimco Deggan, Abdikariim Raas and Qaboojiye

Contemporary music with London-based artists and collaborative partners Nimco Deggan and Abdikariim Raas, who will be joined by Qaboojiye coming to London from his home in Norway
Fee £6

Monday, 13 October
5 . 10 pm: REDSEA-ONLINE.COM presents .Author.s Angle and Literary Coffee.

REDSEA-ONLINE.COM Language, Culture and Heritage Foundation recently organised the first Hargeysa International Book Fair, an event which they aim to maintain as a major annual cultural event in Somaliland. On this occasion, we are looking to establish closer collaboration between the Festival and the Book Fair, and at the same time wish to launch new books just published in the Somali language. This half-day event within the London Somali Week Festival will include:

Book display: visitors/audience can browse, read, and purchase books on display.

Book signing: all authors attending the Festival will be available to meet informally with their readers and to sign books for them.

Maxamed Daahir Afrax: Comparing the past and the present and discussing the future of Somali prose fiction writing, Maxamed Dahir Afrax will look at the differences between the Somali prose literature of the past and will compare it with today.s emerging fiction.

Book launches: Roge, a novel by Cabdillaahi Cawed Cige and Hal aan Tabayey: Sooyaalkii Af-qallooc iyo Suugaantiisii (The One I Yearned for Most: The Great Life of Xaaji Aadan Af-qallooc) by Mahamed Baashe Xaaji Xasan.

Cabdillaahi Cawed Cige has been based in the UK for over 20 years. A poet, novelist and short-story writer, he is the author of Ladh and will launch his new book Roge which explores many issues such as the devastating effects of the civil war, the death and destruction, but also the power of love, commitment and the importance of the voices of women being heard.

The treatise on the life of the late Haaji Aadan Af-qallooc together with a collection of his poetry is the third book of Maxamed Baashe Xaaji Xasan. Many people felt that it was time to write a book about the very rich and interesting life of this great artist whose poetry dominated the whole of the Somali territories for more than half a century, even after his death.

Abdalla Osman Shafey produced different Somali Cartoon Illustrations for Children, and his production have already shown on Somali TVs. The festival will launch a new Cartoon based on Somali Culture and entirely produced by the author.

Saciid Cali Shire recently published .Furaha Ganacsiga., a kind of manual for small scale business. This book, key to business success, examines the nature of the business opportunities that Somali entrepreneurs pursue, the problems and tasks they face, the traits and skills they require, and the social and economic contributions they make; and Shows how to inject imagination, motivation, commitment, passion, tenacity, integrity, teamwork, and vision into the company.

Book readings: "Darandoorri: ila dheh adna na dhegayso" format. With softly classical music running in background, young voices will read together Roge, the latest literary work by Cabdillaahi Cawed Cige. The audience will be entertained with a mixture of touching musical sounds and reading of selected paragraphs from the novel, to stimulate the imagination of the reader, and cultivate the culture of reading.

Short Film: Traveling is one of the most pressing issues of modern times; for many youngsters, travel represents a hope for a better future. Young poets in Somaliland were invited to submit compositions (the title of the contest is "Dhoof baa i galay") related to the idea, dreams, aspirations, hopes and deceptions of traveling. The best poems were awarded in Hargeysa in a public ceremony in August 2008. We will show one of the short films of "Dhoof baa i galay" and watch together one of the poems recited by one of the young poets who participated and went on to win the contest. Free

Tuesday, 14 October
2 - 6pm: Conference on the contribution that the Diaspora can make to the cultural and artistic life in Somaliland

This half-day conference is a networking opportunity for organisations based in Somaliland and elsewhere. We are pleased to have the Somaliland youth organisation HAVOYOCO with us at the festival taking part in this constructive day.

Tuesday, 14 October
7 . 10pm: Young people and citizenship

Ocean Somali Community Association in partnership with SWF08 will be talking with young people about their ideas about citizenship, whether they feel .Gob. (the individual achievement of being a true citizen) in the UK or what would make them feel Gob. How does being a migrant or a refugee, black and/or Muslim in UK society influence their life, in particular their sense of achievement and happiness? We will also talk to people from the local authority, police and others about how we can help young people to achieve a sense of belonging, of citizenship. In this context, it will be important not to shy away from discussing the implications that certain government measures like .Stop and Search. have with regards to an increased sense of alienation among young people. £10 local authority, £5 community orgs, free for under-19s

Wednesday, 15 October
6 . 11pm: Share your talent!

Come together with our visiting artists for our final event. Let us live the idea of .gobannimo.. Open- mic session: London-based talent poets and poetesses with the visiting artists Yuusuf Shaacir, Adan Tarabi and Ahmed Aw-geedi. Traditional, senior poet Adan Tarabi (know as Tuug Tarabi) will be joined by prolific song-writer Ahmed Aw-geedi and Yusuf Shaacir, who both are part of a new generation of Somali poets following in the footsteps of traditionalists like Hadraawi and Hassan Ganey. This evening promises to be an inspirational event with the visiting poets and UK-based artists (Abdilaahi Bootaan, Suldaan, Beeldaaje, Faysal Canbalaash, M Dhagles and more) sharing the floor. This will be a great opportunity for London's Somali youngsters and older audiences alike to share in the enjoyment of listening to these poets' work and the event will be a fitting conclusion to this year.s Somali Week Festival.
£6