Three-day event
Hilla Cultural Festival unites Iraqi and Arab poets, celebrating Iraq’s rich literary heritage
BABIL — The Hilla Cultural Festival kicked off on Saturday in Babil Governorate, bringing together poets from across Iraq as well as Lebanon, the UAE, and Bahrain. The three-day event will feature poetry readings and musical performances from diverse cultural backgrounds.
Mohammed Al-Buraiki, a poet and director of the House of Poetry in Sharjah, UAE, expressed his admiration for Iraqi culture. “Iraqi culture has a significant presence globally and in the Arab world. We have come here to learn from this culture, which is rooted in a great civilization,” he told 964media.
Al-Buraiki added that as the director of the Sharjah Festival for Arabic Poetry, he is keen to discover new poetic talent during the event.
Najaat Al-Zahiri, another Emirati poet, shared her deep appreciation for Iraqi poetry. “I have been following Iraqi poets for a long time. We have been nourished by Iraqi poetry since elementary school and through university. It is an honor that my poetry has been guided by Ali Jaafar Al-Alaq from the beginning. I have an obsession with Iraqi poetry and am familiar with all its schools and movements,” she said.
Ali Jaafar Al-Alaq, born in 1945, is a renowned Iraqi poet, literary critic, and academic whose work has had a profound influence on modern Iraqi poetry.
“I am very impressed with the Iraqi cultural scene, especially the cultural momentum and the continuous contributions of Iraqi poets,” Al-Zahiri added.
Jabbar Al-Kawaz, a member of the Central Council of Iraq’s Union of Writers, described the festival as a creative event that strengthens the cultural ties between Iraq and the broader Arab world. “Through these cultural activities, Iraq is reasserting itself on the global and Arab cultural scene after years of isolation that began in the 1980s,” he said. He also credited the Prime Minister’s support for reviving Iraq’s cultural sector and enabling such events across the country.
Iraq’s modern poetry movement, which emerged in the 20th century, was heavily influenced by social and political changes as well as Western literary trends. Poets such as Ma’ruf Al-Rusafi and Jamil Sidqi Al-Zahawi addressed social, national, and political themes, departing from classical forms toward free verse and modernist expressions.
In the mid-20th century, Iraqi poets Badr Shakir Al-Sayyab and Nazik Al-Malaika pioneered free verse (al-shi’r al-hurr), revolutionizing modern Arabic poetry by exploring contemporary themes and personal expression, making Iraq a leader in the modernist poetry movement in the Arab world.
Contemporary Iraqi poetry continues to reflect the country’s complex history, often dealing with themes of war, displacement, exile, and cultural resilience. Poets such as Saadi Youssef, Fadhil Al-Azzawi, and Sargon Boulus have made significant contributions to modern Iraqi and Arab literature, drawing on personal and collective experiences.
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