‘Khawliawan Haway Tazag’ in Southern Kurdish Poetry

Abdullah Waisi, a poet from Kermanshah, recently published his first poetry collection titled ‘Khawliawan Haway Tazag’ through Dibacheh Publishing. In an interview with the Iran Book News Agency (IBNA), Waisi discussed his new book and the state of Southern Kurdish poetry.

IBNA: Your poetry collection ‘Khawliawan Haway Tazag’ was recently published. What does this title mean, and what themes does your poetry cover?

Waisi: This title is in the Kalhuri dialect of Southern Kurdish and translates to ‘Dreams of Fresh Air.’ The poems in this collection generally have social and romantic themes. While there are some nature-focused poems, the dominant atmosphere is social-romantic.

IBNA: The Kalhuri dialect is one of the most widely spoken Kurdish dialects. Is there a good market for books in this dialect?

Waisi: Yes, Kalhuri is a major dialect of Southern Kurdish, spoken by a large population in the western regions of the country. Fortunately, interest in publishing books in this dialect has grown in recent years. This is a positive development that can lead to the flourishing of literature in this dialect. However, we still face a major challenge in book distribution. I hope that with the support of cultural officials, we can overcome this obstacle.

IBNA: What is the current state of poetry in the Southern Kurdish dialect?

Waisi: Over the past two decades, Southern Kurdish poetry has made significant strides in terms of both quality and quantity, with talented poets emerging in this field. It can be said that poetry in this dialect has found its true place. The only issue is the weak distribution network, which prevents poetry books from reaching their intended audience. If this problem is solved, we will undoubtedly see even greater growth in Southern Kurdish poetry.

IBNA: Are you currently working on a new book?

Waisi: Yes, I have a collection of ghazals ready for publication. I hope to release it soon and make it available to poetry enthusiasts.