Sudanese Writers Union celebrates return with cultural festival

After two years of forced inactivity, the Sudanese Writers Union (SWU) launched a cultural festival in Khartoum on Saturday.

In January 2015, the Sudanese Ministry of Culture revoked the license of the Union, reportedly in a series of steps by the authorities to close cultural centres in the country. Late last year, an administrative court of appeal in Khartoum annulled the Ministry’s decision, and ordered the security apparatus to return the Union’s property.

SWU Secretary-General Osman Shenger told Radio Dabanga that they decided to celebrate the return of the Union with a large cultural festival. “The festival contains a book fair and an art gallery. Seminars on African and Arabic literature and a drawing workshop will be held. Writer and journalist Feisal Mohamed Saleh will coordinate a seminar on the Arabic novel.

“Two classical Sudanese films will be shown by the Sudanese Movie Group. “This will be followed by the presentation of a book on the late poet Mohamed Muftah El Fetouri, written by Moufi Yousef.”

Shenger further said that the festival will conclude with a concert, “with famous singers as Abdelgader Salem, Omar Ihsas, Amer El Johari, Abdelkhalig Mohamed Omar and Yasir Mabyou, and an exhibition of portrait painter Mohamed Hamza who currently lives abroad”.