First edition gathers 28 poets in landmark event for Kurdish poetry and literary creativity.
For the first time, the Grand Kurdistan Literary Festival was held in Sulaymaniyah at Sadat Pir Khadri Hall, bringing together 28 poets from across Kurdistan in a major celebration of Kurdish poetry.
At the opening ceremony, festival president Rizgar Chawshin described the event as a historic step for Kurdish literature, noting that it was the first festival of its kind held in Greater Kurdistan. He said the participating poets presented their works before a jury composed of experts who evaluated them based on creativity, structure, and poetic metre.
Chawshin highlighted several results from the competition, noting that Adami Hawai’s poem was praised for its beauty and conciseness, while Rebwar Adami’s work stood out for its emotional depth and literary refinement. He also mentioned that Jafar Hassan’s poem was the most technically precise, containing no spelling errors, although it was not ranked due to not fitting the mixed-metre category.
A special section of the festival, known as the “Zulbahrayn” segment, featured performances by Master Amini Amini and Harati Zadeh, who showcased their skills in the Aruz poetic tradition. According to the organizers, Harati Zadeh’s poem was ultimately selected as the most outstanding in this section. The mixed-metre format and the Zulbahrayn concept were also introduced and developed by senior participants, including Master Omar and Amini Amini.
The festival, managed by Qahar Shakhani in its media coverage, concluded successfully and was described as a significant milestone in modern Kurdish literary history. Organizers said the event emphasized creativity, new poetic approaches, and unity among poets from different parts of Kurdistan.