Books in the Somali language: poetry, proverbs, novels and history since 1956

The short version

Somali was a spoken language with a large oral literature long before it was a printed one (Somali poetry). A few books in Somali appeared in the 1950s and 1960s, using different spellings. After the government made the Latin script official in October 1972 (Somali written, 1972), schools, newspapers and publishers began using Somali, and books followed (B. W. Andrzejewski, The Rise of Written Somali Literature, Open Library).

After 1991, much Somali publishing moved abroad, to the diaspora in Europe, North America and Kenya, and later back to Hargeysa, Mogadishu and Garoowe. The Hargeysa International Book Fair, founded by Jama Musse Jama in 2008 and held every summer by the Redsea Online Culture Foundation, became one of the main places where new Somali books are launched (Hargeisa International Book Fair, Wikipedia).

The lists below come from library catalogues. Open Library alone lists more than 400 works in the Somali language, including many translated children's books (Open Library, Somali language search). This page names the main kinds and a selection of titles in each.

The first printed Somali, before 1972

• Hikmad Soomaali (1956), Musa Galaal, edited with B. W. Andrzejewski. Somali stories with notes, in a Latin-based spelling, published by Oxford University Press for the School of Oriental and African Studies. (Open Library)
• Maahmaahaa saddexshub (1974), Maxamed Shire Maxamed. Somali proverbs set beside Arabic and English ones. (Open Library)

Poets' collected works (diiwaan)

• Diiwaanka gabayadii Sayid Maxamad Cabdille Xasan (2005 edition), the poems of Sayid Maxamed Cabdulle Xasan. The Sayyid's poems; the first collection was made by Jaamac Cumar Ciise in 1974. (Open Library)
• Ismaaciil Mire (1974), Axmed Faarax Cali 'Idaajaa'. Life and poems of the Dervish commander and poet Ismaaciil Mire. (Open Library)
• Ina Cabdille Xasan e la sua attività letteraria (1984), Yaasiin Cismaan Keenadiid. Study in Italian of the Sayyid's poetry, with translations. (Open Library)
• Silsiladda Guba (1999), edited by Abdullahi Hassan Roble. The Guba chain of poems of the late 1970s and 1980s, in which many poets answered each other. (Open Library)
• Gurmad (2001), Mohammed Sh. Hassan. Collected Somali poetry. (Open Library)
• Aadan-carab (2002), Axmed Faarax Cali 'Idaajaa'. Life and poems of the poet Aadan-carab. (Open Library)
• Maansadii hore ee Soomaalida (2005), Jaamac Cumar Ciise. Early Somali poetry collected from oral sources. (Open Library)
• Diiwaanka maansada Timacadde (2006), the poems of Cabdillaahi Suldaan Maxamed 'Timacadde'. Collected poems of Timacadde (1920s to 1973). (Open Library)
• Diiwaanka heesaha Soomaaliyeed (1997), Mohammed Sh. Hassan. A collection of Somali songs. (Open Library)

Proverbs, riddles and folk tales

• Murtidu waa hodantinnimo (1995), Abdurrahman H. H. Aden. Somali proverbs. (Open Library)
• Wixii la qoraa quruumo hadha (1995), Googgaa cigalle (1997) and Sahan (1997), Idil Maxamed Maydhane. Folk literature, riddles and oral tradition. (Open Library)
• Diiwaanka maahmaahyada (1997), Mohammed Sh. Hassan. A collection of proverbs. (Open Library)
• Hubsiimo hal baa la siistaa (2002), Georgi Kapchits. Somali proverbs collected by a Russian scholar of Somali. (Open Library)
• 1000-ka ugu caansan murtida iyo maahmaahyada Soomaaliyeed (2005), Cabdulqadir Nuur Xuseen. A collection of 1,000 Somali proverbs and sayings. (Open Library)
• Sheekooyinka dadqalatadii Dhegdheer (2002), Mohammed Sh. Hassan. Tales of Dhegdheer, the ogress of Somali folklore. (Open Library)

Novels and short stories

• Aqoondarro waa u nacab jacayl (1974), Faarax M. J. Cawl. Early novel in the new script, set in the Dervish era. (English translation, Internet Archive)
• Ladh (2005) and Roge (2008), Cabdillaahi Cawed Cige. Novels; Roge is about HIV and AIDS. (Open Library)
• Amran! (2005), Hani Hirsi. Novel about a Somali woman and a love triangle. (Open Library)
• Tahriibkii Hodan (2005), Abdirahman Zaylai Sheikh Mohamed. Novel about a young woman's sea crossing. (Open Library)
• Janno, Deynabo, Xusuusqorkii Leyla and other novels (2008), Bile M. Hashi. A series of novels on love, family and migration. (Open Library)
• Singal Maadar (2008), Samatar Sooyaan. Novel of Somali family life in Minnesota. (Open Library)
• Sheeko iyo shaahid (2009, 2010), Jama Musse Jama and Axmed Riiraash (eds.). Anthologies of Somali short stories. (Open Library)
• Hantaaqo jacayl (2010), Muuse Maxamuud Ciise. Love story. (Open Library)

History, faith and society, written in Somali

• Hadimadii gumeysiga (2005), Cabdulqaadir Cusmaan Maxamuud. The colonial period and its effects. (Open Library)
• Taangiga Tigreega (2008), Cabdulqaadir Cusmaan Maxamuud. The Somali-Ethiopian conflict after 1979. (Open Library)
• Taariikhda ummadda Soomaaliyeed (2009), Cali Jaamac Qalinle. History of the Somali nation. (Open Library)
• Garta dhaqanka (2009), C/Salaan Maxamed Xirsi. Customary law and mediation. (Open Library)
• Taariikhda ururada Islaamiyiinta Soomaalida (2010), Cali Cabdi Coomay. History of Somali Islamist organisations. (Open Library)
• Qaylo-dhaan deegaan (2010), Ahmed I. Awale. The environment and land use. (Open Library)
• Taariikhda iyo luqadda bulshada Soomaaliyeed (2011), Cabdalla C. Mansuur. History and language of Somali society. (Open Library)

Where to find Somali-language books

• Open Library: search by language, for example books in Somali.
• WorldCat: shows which libraries hold a title; many Somali books are held by libraries in Minnesota, London, Toronto and the Nordic countries.
• Public libraries in the diaspora often hold Somali-language and dual-language children's books.

Related pages

• Somali authors and their books
• Somali grammars and dictionaries
• Somali poetry
• Books about Somalis: every era