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| Yemeni poetry thrives despite trauma of civil war | Yemeni poetry thrives despite trauma of civil war |
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| A story is often told to illustrate how central poetry is to Yemeni culture: that of the visit of a famous lute player from Baghdad. | A story is often told to illustrate how central poetry is to Yemeni culture: that of the visit of a famous lute player from Baghdad. |
| He was invited to play in Sana’a, where he performed enchanting and technically brilliant music for an hour. But when he stopped, the audience waited for the musician to start talking. Without any poetry, they thought, the entertainment could not possibly be over yet. | He was invited to play in Sana’a, where he performed enchanting and technically brilliant music for an hour. But when he stopped, the audience waited for the musician to start talking. Without any poetry, they thought, the entertainment could not possibly be over yet. |
| Sung and recited poetry is loved all over the Arab world, but especially so in Yemen. It is important for special occasions such as weddings and historical events, but also has a function in everyday life as part of dispute mediations between tribes and as a form of political and social commentary. | Sung and recited poetry is loved all over the Arab world, but especially so in Yemen. It is important for special occasions such as weddings and historical events, but also has a function in everyday life as part of dispute mediations between tribes and as a form of political and social commentary. |
| The millennia-old tradition is still thriving. In the 2011 Arab spring protests, ancient and new compositions were chanted in the streets of Sana’a. Even now, four years into Yemen’s civil war, established poets and emerging young writers are exploring how the art form can unite people on different sides of the war’s many fault lines. | |
| “We have to say what we feel and what life is like in war, and what life was like before it. That’s what poetry is for,” said 20-year-old Aisha al-Jaedy, a student from Hadramaut who writes on the themes of women and peace. “It’s our job to give this message to the world.” | “We have to say what we feel and what life is like in war, and what life was like before it. That’s what poetry is for,” said 20-year-old Aisha al-Jaedy, a student from Hadramaut who writes on the themes of women and peace. “It’s our job to give this message to the world.” |
| Jaedy volunteered for a recent project called In the Land of Shattered Windows, which asked 10 young poets from different parts of Yemen to write in the tradition of balah, long poems composed and performed competitively or as part of a dialogue. | Jaedy volunteered for a recent project called In the Land of Shattered Windows, which asked 10 young poets from different parts of Yemen to write in the tradition of balah, long poems composed and performed competitively or as part of a dialogue. |
| None of the participants had met, but they were connected in pairs in order to communicate what life was like for people on opposite sides of the conflict, exchanging audio recordings of original poems via WhatsApp. The result was deeply moving portraits of young Yemenis’ lives. | None of the participants had met, but they were connected in pairs in order to communicate what life was like for people on opposite sides of the conflict, exchanging audio recordings of original poems via WhatsApp. The result was deeply moving portraits of young Yemenis’ lives. |
| I have always told you:You must be brave to say you are scared,And scared enough to look brave. | I have always told you:You must be brave to say you are scared,And scared enough to look brave. |
| From ‘Over a Bridge of Fears’ by Aisha al-Jaedy, translated by Hamdan Dammaj | From ‘Over a Bridge of Fears’ by Aisha al-Jaedy, translated by Hamdan Dammaj |
| Seven of the 10 participants were able to travel to Sana’a to meet in person and perform together in February this year. | Seven of the 10 participants were able to travel to Sana’a to meet in person and perform together in February this year. |
| “We wanted to update the poetic tradition, make it younger and cooler,” said the organiser Ibi Ibrahim, the founder of the Romooz Foundation, a new independent non-profit based in Sana’a dedicated to promoting and developing Yemeni art and culture. | “We wanted to update the poetic tradition, make it younger and cooler,” said the organiser Ibi Ibrahim, the founder of the Romooz Foundation, a new independent non-profit based in Sana’a dedicated to promoting and developing Yemeni art and culture. |
| “When I moved back to Yemen last year, it was astonishing for me to really see and internalise how life goes on despite the war. Outsiders think of Yemen as death and war and conflict. That is absolutely true. But what we are aiming to do is create another narrative that shows our humanity and resilience.” | “When I moved back to Yemen last year, it was astonishing for me to really see and internalise how life goes on despite the war. Outsiders think of Yemen as death and war and conflict. That is absolutely true. But what we are aiming to do is create another narrative that shows our humanity and resilience.” |
| Ever wondered why you feel so gloomy about the world - even at a time when humanity has never been this healthy and prosperous? Could it be because news is almost always grim, focusing on confrontation, disaster, antagonism and blame? | Ever wondered why you feel so gloomy about the world - even at a time when humanity has never been this healthy and prosperous? Could it be because news is almost always grim, focusing on confrontation, disaster, antagonism and blame? |
| This series is an antidote, an attempt to show that there is plenty of hope, as our journalists scour the planet looking for pioneers, trailblazers, best practice, unsung heroes, ideas that work, ideas that might and innovations whose time might have come. | This series is an antidote, an attempt to show that there is plenty of hope, as our journalists scour the planet looking for pioneers, trailblazers, best practice, unsung heroes, ideas that work, ideas that might and innovations whose time might have come. |
| Readers can recommend other projects, people and progress that we should report on by contacting us at theupside@theguardian.com | Readers can recommend other projects, people and progress that we should report on by contacting us at theupside@theguardian.com |
| Creating art in times of war is not without its obstacles. In Yemen, the Houthi rebels and forces loyal to the Saudi-backed coalition have both imprisoned and tortured activists, journalists and intellectuals. Many people are afraid to express themselves truthfully - and political poetry, by its very nature, can inflame existing tensions. | Creating art in times of war is not without its obstacles. In Yemen, the Houthi rebels and forces loyal to the Saudi-backed coalition have both imprisoned and tortured activists, journalists and intellectuals. Many people are afraid to express themselves truthfully - and political poetry, by its very nature, can inflame existing tensions. |
| “Poetry is given a lot more value and honour in Yemen [than in the west],” said 27-year-old British-Yemeni poet Sana Uqba. “So when writing my book, I knew it had to serve a purpose – a peacemaker but also an unconventional newspaper to inform readers of what is happening in Yemen in a more artistic and creative way. I’m a firm believer in art being a form of resistance.” | “Poetry is given a lot more value and honour in Yemen [than in the west],” said 27-year-old British-Yemeni poet Sana Uqba. “So when writing my book, I knew it had to serve a purpose – a peacemaker but also an unconventional newspaper to inform readers of what is happening in Yemen in a more artistic and creative way. I’m a firm believer in art being a form of resistance.” |
| Poetry, for Uqba, is also a way of processing collective trauma. One of her performance poems, What do you know about Yemen?, was shared thousands of times on social media by Yemenis and the diaspora community keen to draw attention to their country’s rich history and cultural contributions to the world. | Poetry, for Uqba, is also a way of processing collective trauma. One of her performance poems, What do you know about Yemen?, was shared thousands of times on social media by Yemenis and the diaspora community keen to draw attention to their country’s rich history and cultural contributions to the world. |
| “[The collection is] designed to humanise what has quite obviously become a dehumanised war,” she said. “Beyond the headlines and death tolls, humans have bore the brunt of this unnecessary and devastating war.” | “[The collection is] designed to humanise what has quite obviously become a dehumanised war,” she said. “Beyond the headlines and death tolls, humans have bore the brunt of this unnecessary and devastating war.” |
| The sun rose and pushed them one by oneOnto the ageing busFresh bread, a little butterAnd some cheeseThat’s all it took -Oh and some teaA whole lot of singingAnd laughter; that’s a perfect dayAt the beach | The sun rose and pushed them one by oneOnto the ageing busFresh bread, a little butterAnd some cheeseThat’s all it took -Oh and some teaA whole lot of singingAnd laughter; that’s a perfect dayAt the beach |
| Untitled poem from ‘War & Love’ by Sana Uqba | Untitled poem from ‘War & Love’ by Sana Uqba |
| Ibrahim’s team at the Ramooz Foundation is planning to nurture new literary talent in Sana’a with a new project called Kitabat, hosting a creative writing workshop in Sana’a in June and crowdsourcing funds for a writer in residence programme in the city. | Ibrahim’s team at the Ramooz Foundation is planning to nurture new literary talent in Sana’a with a new project called Kitabat, hosting a creative writing workshop in Sana’a in June and crowdsourcing funds for a writer in residence programme in the city. |
| “I feel lucky to witness the artistic energy in Yemen at the moment,” Ibrahim said. “It’s such an active scene in literature, visual arts, filmmaking. It deserves support. | “I feel lucky to witness the artistic energy in Yemen at the moment,” Ibrahim said. “It’s such an active scene in literature, visual arts, filmmaking. It deserves support. |
| “There’s a social responsibility to avoid the destruction of our culture and heritage and seeing how these young artists grow more confident in their talents when they get to share their work is amazing.” | “There’s a social responsibility to avoid the destruction of our culture and heritage and seeing how these young artists grow more confident in their talents when they get to share their work is amazing.” |
| This article is part of a series on possible solutions to some of the world’s most stubborn problems. What else should we cover? Email us at theupside@theguardian.com | This article is part of a series on possible solutions to some of the world’s most stubborn problems. What else should we cover? Email us at theupside@theguardian.com |
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