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Religious affairs programme, tackling thorny issues in a thought-provoking manner

Religious affairs programme, tackling the thornier issues of the day in a thought-provoking manner

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All Things Considered: Hanan Issa. The National Poet of Wales

06/08/2023

Hanan Issa. The National Poet of Wales

BBC Radio Wales - All Things Considered, Hanan Issa. The National Poet of Wales

Azim Ahmed's guest is Hanan Issa, the first female Muslim National Poet of Wales.

Azim Ahmed is in conversation with Hanan Issa, the National Poet of Wales and the first female Muslim to hold the position. She discusses her faith and her work.

With the National Eisteddfod being held on the Lleyn Peninsula, our focus this week is poetry. Azim Ahmed is in conversation with Hanan Issa, the first female Muslim National Poet of Wales. She’s completed the first year of a three-year tenure of the post, organised by Literature Wales.  Hanan Issa is proud of her dual heritage- she’s both Iraqi and Welsh and grew up in Cardiff.  She’s has also made films, written short stories and is now embarking on a novel.  

During the programme, Hanan discusses her journey of faith, her dual heritage, Welshness, and the (long) process involved in writing poetry even before putting pen to paper. She also discusses and reads some of her work including ‘The Unsung’ a poem commissioned in her official role to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the NHS. Hanan also speaks about her enthusiasm for 'cynghanedd' (the Welsh language poetic form in strict metre) and its use in her work. 

www.literaturewales.org

“Kicha and the Unicorn” - a short story by Hanan Issa is available on BBC Sounds https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/favourites/m001p23m

The Golden Apple – a short film written and directed by Hanan Issa. 
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0ck5zx1

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