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Book Launch: the Mourning Tree- the autobiography of Mohamed Barud Ali, Birmingham Central Library, Birmingham.

[ATTENTION: The venue changed - see you in ex Hilaaq Hilltop Restaurant, 508-510 Mosley  road, B12 9 AH]

Kayd Somali Arts and Culture in collaboration with Birmingham Central library is inviting you to the presentation of The Mourning Tree, autobiography by Mohamed Barud Ali. Join us to discuss with the author; Saturday, 10 April 2010 at 1pm at ex Hilaaq Hilltop Restaurant, 508-510 Mosley  Road, B12 9 AH.

In his autobiography, Mahamed Barud Ali shares with the reader his childhood, being born under a tree named Weerane which is symbolic for Mohamed’s life; painful at the times but noble and optimistic. Weerane is a Somali word for a piece of cloth wrapped around one’s head to show that a grievance was committed. At the same time, it is a sign of courage. It is the name of the tree that Mohamed Barud Ali was born under into a pastoral nomadic community. In this nomadic society, dignity is the single most important state of being.
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Book Launch: the Mourning Tree- the autobiography of Mohamed Barud Ali Sheffield: Saturday, 13 March 2010 at 1pm at Sorby House, 42 Spital Hill, Sheffield, S4 7LG.

Kayd Somali Arts and Culture in collaboration with Somali Communities in Sheffield are inviting you to the presentation of new book: ‘Weerane’ (The Mourning Tree), autobiography by Mohamed Barud Ali. Join us to discuss this new autobiography with the author on Saturday, 13 March 2010 at 1pm at Sorby House, 42 Spital Hill, Sheffield, S4 7LG.

This prison memoir will not only give you first-hand information of the experience of the brutalities of Somali regime in the 80’s and the human suffering but also of the life of a nomad child who is brought to the city to live with his aunt because there was no work for him due to the fact that his father did not own any camels to be looked after. In the city while growing up, hunger was never far away.

That motivated Mahamed to perform well at school which gave him the opportunity to go to the United Kingdom. After he earned his university degree, he went back to his home town Hargeysa where he met young professionals’ like him. They decided to volunteer for their community, what became to be known by the international community as Hargeysa Self-help group and locally as UFFO. For their noble acts, Mahamed and his colleagues were imprisoned and what followed were eight long lonely years, where the studying of insects was the main entertainment of the day. The reasons why they were freed, while at the same time the rest of their community had been destroyed, were as strange and surprising as the reasons why they were jailed in the first place were bizarre.

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By Ibrahim Hashi Jama

The Mourning Tree – An Autobiography and A Prison Memoir
Mohamed Barud Ali, February 2010
Published by Ponte Invisible, available from www.redsea-online.com/books

In 1993, as a Minister of the Republic of Somaliland, “I was given the same office that the National Security Service interrogated me in the first night I was arrested [in 1982]. What can I say? All the demons have been exorcised from my life”. So ends, in characteristic modesty and generosity of spirit, the memoirs of Mohamed Barud Ali. The memoirs titled “The Mourning Tree – An Autobiography and Prison Memoirs” were launched on 20th February – an eventful date for the author and one which has since been commemorated in the Republic of Somaliland. The memoirs which have been published as the well chosen first book in a series titled “men and women” of Somaliland, is not just the story of a man, but also reflect the tale of a nation.

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Friday, 5 March. 2010-02-03
Time 7pm-10pm
Oxford House, Derby Shire Street, E2 6GH

Kayd Somali Arts and Culture is inviting you to hilarious comedy night ‘Third World Comedy’. This night our performers include Prince Abdi who is a the British -Somali comedian in the UK, as seen on comedy central. Prince Abdi has a lovely style in his delivery ‘pacy, upbeat and infectious – which makes the audience warm to him. . Also there will be entertainment from, Ola, finalist of stand up hero as seen on ITV and Nabil Abdulrashid the talented and alternative comedian from northern Nigeria Via Croydon.

Come and enjoy this top night of comedy.
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Interview by the BBC – a very interesting summing up of the book presentation event.

Posted with permission.

Dalmar on BBC