Friday March 24, 2023
The 2019 Silsiladda Nabadda poetry competition winners. Credit: EU in Somalia
Mogadishu (HOL) - The European Union (EU) in Somalia has partnered with the Somali Academy of Science, Culture and Arts to launch a new poetry competition to identify and amplify Somali voices on hopes for peace and prosperity. The Silsiladda Nabadda poetry competition, now in its third edition, will focus on traditional poetry about peace and will be supported by the EU.
Somalia has a rich tradition of oral poetry and storytelling passed down through generations, and the competition recognizes the critical importance of poetry in Somali culture. This year's competition theme is "My Vision for Peace and Prosperity."
To participate, contestants must record a short video of themselves reciting an original poem on the theme. Participants should clearly state their name, age, and email address before reciting their poems. The video should be no longer than two minutes and must be submitted via WhatsApp (
+252626392248) or email (
[email protected]) before the deadline of April 11, 2023.
After the submission deadline, an expert jury will watch all eligible videos and select the top eight entries. The eight poems will be posted on the
EU's Facebook page, and the public will be invited to vote for their favourites by liking the poem. Only one vote per Facebook account is allowed, and the winner will be the poem that receives the most likes.
The first prize for the competition is $1,000, followed by $500 for second place and $250 for third. The winners will be invited to the celebrations of Europe Day, which will be held in Mogadishu on May 9, 2023.
The competition is open to all Somali nationals aged over 16 who are currently living in Somalia. Videos will be submitted to independent judges who will select the finalists based on language quality, comprehensibility, originality, relevance to the theme, and adherence to traditional Somali poetry rules of rhyme and rhythm.
Contestants must submit an original work, and the poem should not be derogatory, immoral, offensive, or contain profanity or inappropriate language. The EU reserves the right to take measures to ensure a fair voting process and may stop the award process or change the conditions if necessary.