Craft Conversation

On 26 September 2025, during the inaugural Kurdish Studies Forum organised by the Kashkul Center at the American University of Iraq, Sulaimani, Choman Hardi was in conversation with Fatma Savcı, a Kurdish poet who began writing while imprisoned for her political activism in Turkey. Their discussion explored the intersections of women’s lives and poetry: how women write, what they write about, and the challenges they face in making their voices heard within literary worlds dominated by men. Together, they reflected on the role of poetry as a form of resistance and self-definition, and on the courage required for women to claim space in societies where artistic and media platforms remain largely male-controlled. The conversation also touched on the shared struggles and solidarities that connect women poets across linguistic, cultural, and political boundaries. The event was facilitated by Kajal Ahmad, herself a celebrated Kurdish poet and journalist, who guided the exchange with insight and sensitivity.