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This weekend sees the launch of Somali Week at Oxford House in East London. As part of the celebration Monsoon Press release Silent Voices - an Anthology of work by contempory British Somali writers.

Silent Voices is part the result of a project called Unearthing the Somali Voice, the third strand of Monsoon Press’ Hidden Voices Programme funded by the Arts Council.  Dr Martin Orwin, a leading figure on Somali writing from the London School of Oriental and African Studies describes Silent Voices as, “a rare insight and is a valuable counter to what is often found in the mainstream media” 

Monsoon Press is a publishing organisation with offices in Tower Hamlets and Hammersmith set up by Rabina Khan and Rekha Waheed.  The organisation’s main focus is on publishing and profiling the works of writers from under-represented communities re-defining stereotypes and readdressing the lack of representation from Black and Asian writers in the mainstream publishing world.

To listen to the some of the writers talk about their experience of writing for the book and what it means to be British Somali click on the video link above.

Somali Week runs from Saturday 20 - Sunday 28 October attracting over 2,000 people. The festival held in Oxford House in Bethnal Green offers the best of Somali culture from old and new through an eclectic mix of events including, poetry, contemporary drama, music and dance, as well as a youth conference and a symposium on Somali language.