Basra hosts inaugural Marbad Festival for Folk Poetry

BASRA — The first edition of the “Marbad Festival for Folk Poetry” was launched in Basra on Friday. The event brought together prominent poets from across Iraq, including Kazem Al-Hajjaj, who inaugurated the festival, as well as poets Mohammed Wajih from Baghdad, Aqeel Al-Arad from Samawah, and Basim Al-Khaqani from Dhi Qar.

The festival celebrated Basra’s rich poetic legacy, honoring renowned lyric poet Mahdi Abboud Al-Sudani. The event also featured musical performances, artistic displays, and a theatrical presentation titled “A Key That Never Reached the Door of the Afterlife” by poet-actor Ali Ibrahim Al-Yasiri and director Ali Al-Mahdi.

Ahmad Sabahi, a festival representative, told 964media, “This festival aims to honor Basra’s folk poetry, drawing inspiration from the Marbad Festival of classical poetry, to reaffirm the city’s status as a hub of literature and creativity.”

He added, “We are here to showcase the beauty of folk poetry in its finest form and to celebrate the figures who have shaped Basra’s cultural identity. Basra remains a cradle of creativity, rich with a legacy.”

Mohammed Wajih, a poet from Baghdad, shared, “Basra’s poetry is a source of joy for any poet who reads it. This city, home to giants like Al-Sayyab and Saadi Youssef, gives poetry new meaning the moment it is recited here, surrounded by its generous and spirited audience.”

Badr Shakir Al-Sayyab was one of Iraq’s most renowned modern poets and a pioneer of free verse in Arabic poetry. Born in the village of Jaykur near Basra in 1926, and died in 1964. Saadi Youssef, born in Abu Al-Khaseeb, Basra, was a celebrated Iraqi poet, known for his lyrical free verse, his poetry often explored identity and exile.

Basim Al-Khaqani, a poet from Dhi Qar, added, “Basra’s folk poetry has a unique ability to breathe life into meanings, making every reading feel like the first time.”

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