Ali al-Jalawi
Ali al-Jalawi ( Arabic علي الجلاوي ʿAlī al-Jalāwī , DMG ʿAlī al-Ǧalāwī ; * April 16, 1975 in Manama , Bahrain ) is a Bahraini poet. Al-Jalawi discovered his passion for poetry at the age of fourteen. His early works were shaped by his revolutionary and political beliefs, for which he was arrested at the age of seventeen after criticizing the Bahraini political regime in one of his poems. He was arrested again in 1995 and imprisoned for three years.
During his detention, Ali al-Jalawi devoted much time to philosophy and taught himself a wide range of subjects. His radical religious and political beliefs gave way and evolved into intellectual openness. Furthermore, al-Jalawi is striving for a new and just political system for Bahrain.
His current poetic works deal with human and humanistic aspects. Ali al-Jalawi is particularly known for his poem entitled Dilmuniyyat.
Al-Jalawi has lived in Germany since 2011 , mainly in Berlin , where, in addition to writing poetic works, he runs a research center dedicated to the ethnic minorities in Bahrain, which are neglected by the Bahraini government.
Public performances
Ali al-Jalawi took part in many international and pan-Arab poetry events, where he represented Bahrain.
- Bait al-Hikma, England, 1998
- University of Damascus, Syria
- 29th International Book Fair, Kuwait
- Bahraini Culture Weeks in Amman, Jordan
- Arab Culture Festival, Sanaa, Yemen, 2004
- Asila Festival, Hawar Islands, Bahrain
- 6th GCC Poetry Festival, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Arab Culture Festival, Khartoum, Sudan 2005
- Poetry tent, Zagoura, Morocco, 2006
- International Poetry Forum, Marrakech, Morocco, 2006
- World Poetry Day , Brandenburg Gate Foundation, Max-Liebermann House, Berlin 2012
- Medellin International Poetry Festival , Medellin, Colombia 2014
Publications
- Wajhan li-mra'atin wahida, Dar al-Kunuz, Beirut.
- Al-ʿIsyan, Dar al-Mada, Syria.
- Al-Madina al-achira, Arab Foundation for Studies and Publication, Beirut.
- Dilmuniyyat I, Dar Aliya, Kuwait.
- Dilmuniyyat II, Dar Kanʿan, Syria.
- Dilmuniyyat (two-part, new edition), Ministry of Culture, Yemen, 2004
Translations
- English: Arab poets, translation: Ayesha Saldanha.
- Polish: Anthology of Modern Arabic Poem, translation: Barbara Michalak Pikulska.
- Spanish: Arab female poets, translation: Abdul H. Sadoun.
Web links
- http://www.jallawi.org/
- "Simply being human" - short portrait of Ali al-Jalawi (published in unique magazine, No. 59, May 2012)
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Jalawi, Ali al- |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Ali Al Jallawi |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Bahraini poet |
| DATE OF BIRTH | April 16, 1975 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Manama |