Maxamed Daahir Afrax
Encyclopedia
Maxamed Daahir Afrax Ph. D. is a Somali
novelist, playwright
, journalist
and scholar.
. He belongs to the Majerteen sub-clan of the Darod
Somali clan.
A polyglot
, he writes in Somali
, Arabic
and English
. Afrax has published three novels in Somali, Guur-ku-sheeg (1975), Maana-faay (1979) and Galti-macruuf (1980), in addition to an historical novel in Arabic, Nida Al-Horiyah (1976). He has also published several short stories in both Arabic and Somali.
Also a playwright
, Afrax has written two plays, the first being Durbaan Been ah ("A Deceptive Dream"), which was staged in Somalia in 1979. His major contribution in the field of theatre criticism
is Somali Drama: Historical and Critical Study (1987).
In his novels and plays, Afrax denounces moral corruption
and social injustice
. When in 1980 his novel Gulti-macruuf ("Pseudo-civilized") began to appear in serialized form in Xiddigta Oktoobar (a leading national daily newspaper at the time), Somalia's government took offence. The publication of the story was subsequently discontinued at its 37th episode. Soon after that, in 1981, Afrax left Somalia and has been living abroad ever since.
Somali people
Somalis are an ethnic group located in the Horn of Africa, also known as the Somali Peninsula. The overwhelming majority of Somalis speak the Somali language, which is part of the Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family...
novelist, playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
, journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and scholar.
Biography
Afrax was born and raised in SomaliaSomalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
. He belongs to the Majerteen sub-clan of the Darod
Darod
The Darod is a Somali clan. The father of this clan is named Abdirahman bin Isma'il al-Jabarti, but is more commonly known as Darod. In the Somali language, the word Daarood means "an enclosed compound," a conflation of the two words daar and ood .The Darod population in Somalia lives principally...
Somali clan.
A polyglot
Multilingualism
Multilingualism is the act of using, or promoting the use of, multiple languages, either by an individual speaker or by a community of speakers. Multilingual speakers outnumber monolingual speakers in the world's population. Multilingualism is becoming a social phenomenon governed by the needs of...
, he writes in Somali
Somali language
The Somali language is a member of the East Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family. Its nearest relatives are Afar and Oromo. Somali is the best documented of the Cushitic languages, with academic studies beginning before 1900....
, Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
and English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. Afrax has published three novels in Somali, Guur-ku-sheeg (1975), Maana-faay (1979) and Galti-macruuf (1980), in addition to an historical novel in Arabic, Nida Al-Horiyah (1976). He has also published several short stories in both Arabic and Somali.
Also a playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
, Afrax has written two plays, the first being Durbaan Been ah ("A Deceptive Dream"), which was staged in Somalia in 1979. His major contribution in the field of theatre criticism
Theatre criticism
Theatre criticism is a genre of art criticism, and the act of writing or speaking about the performing arts such as a play or opera.Most major national newspapers of first world countries cover the arts in some form and theatre criticism may be included as a part of this arts coverage.Specialist...
is Somali Drama: Historical and Critical Study (1987).
In his novels and plays, Afrax denounces moral corruption
Corruption (philosophical concept)
In philosophical, theological, or moral discussions, corruption is spiritual or moral impurity or deviation from an ideal. In economy, corruption is payment for services or material which the recipient is not due, under law...
and social injustice
Social injustice
Social injustice is a concept relating to the claimed unfairness or injustice of a society in its divisions of rewards and burdens and other incidental inequalities...
. When in 1980 his novel Gulti-macruuf ("Pseudo-civilized") began to appear in serialized form in Xiddigta Oktoobar (a leading national daily newspaper at the time), Somalia's government took offence. The publication of the story was subsequently discontinued at its 37th episode. Soon after that, in 1981, Afrax left Somalia and has been living abroad ever since.
Further reading
- Prof. Lidwien Kapteijns, Window on Somali Society: The Novels of Maxamed D. Afrax, HAL-ABUUR, Autumn/Winter issue, 1993/94