Springtime Reading

Springtime Reading

Selected Cultural Posts for Spring 2026

Sudanese Craftsmanship and Adornment

The Sudanese woven food cover or tabag is practical, beautiful and laden with symbolism. In recent years it has been creatively reinterpreted by influencers and artists who often see it as emblematic of Sudanese tradition, aesthetics and values. See more in The Sudanese Tabag.

Merchant’s Sleeve Fans once embodied practical elegance and prestige. During her stay in Sudan, textile expert and researcher Grace Mary Crowfoot acquired many examples of these beautiful objects. See a selection of her collection, now preserved in the British Museum in the link above. The modest leather purse or wallet once worn under the clothes of grandmothers throughout northern Sudan is still held in great affection. Learn more in The Mahfaza / Mahfada.

Learn about the customs and history behind the glittering bridal headdress or magdarei with NUUAR Media’s cultural correspondent, Tibyan Labib in her brief video, subtitled in English. Explore stunning examples of northern Sudanese wooden door locks and their cultural and technological qualities in An Ancient Art – The Wooden Door Locks of Nubia.

The wooden prayer board or lawh has long been a source of inspiration for artists, film makers and cultural historians. Learn more about its spiritual roots in Inspired by the Sudanese Looh / LawH.

Ivory in Sudan has a fascinating and tragic history. Read more in Ivory Adornment in Sudan. Beads and Silverwork features fine examples from The Sudan Ethnographic Museum, pre-war as an introduction to a series of articles on this theme. Sudanese Wedding Jewelry: Ceremony, Symbolism and Games explores colonial eye witness accounts of the ceremony and rituals of wedding jewellery, together with contemporary interpretations of classic pieces.

Contemporary Sudanese Poetry

Listen to Arabic recitals and working translations in English of uplifting, defiant and quirky verse from young women and men in Our Sudan is Still Sudan / All is Still Well in Our Land, Rise and We Will Build Sudan Anew and Are You Sudanese?

See too Poet of Sudan’s Soul Mohammad Al-Mahdi Al-Majdhūb.

The Sudanese Revolution of 2018-19 and The Present Conflict

If you are inspired by the artistic energy, courage and watchwords coined during the Sudanese Revolution, then you might enjoy Art of the Sudanese Revolution Part 1/4 Freedom, Peace and Justice Watchwords and Slogans of the Revolution 2

See too Are You Under the Tree or in the Basement? for more biting and witty Sudanese expressions – this time coined during the present conflict. A profound desire for a resolution to this conflict and a return to normal life imbues Nancy Ajaj’s exquisite musical homage to the prayer of Gasim Abu Zaid. Enjoy the song and its stunning visuals in Ya Rahman Sung by Nancy Ajaj.

While visiting her family in Khartoum, Liela Medani, peace activist and women’s advocate, was forced to embark on a perilous journey back to her London home when war broke out in April 2023. Read her story and watch the documentary made by Waging Peace on her journey home in One Woman’s Journey. Liela’s portrait was nominated for A Portrait of Britain 2025.

If you enjoy folktales, then you might like the review of Lutfi Abdullah’s famous retelling of immortal tales; The Clever Sheikh of The Butana and Other Stories, capturing key elements of the Sudanese oral tradition, its humour, wisdom and celebration of women’s agency. See more in Bringing Sudanese Folktales to Life, Hassan and the Fishes and The Son of the Sultan.

Visual Arts

Artist Omer Khairy was fascinated by British culture and his groundbreaking work reflects a complex interplay between a profoundly Sudanese artistic vision and broader influences. Learn more in Omer Khairy, The Sudanese Artist with an English Alter Ego.

The current war has spurred many young Sudanese artists to capture on canvas the heartbreaking realities suffered by young and old in Sudan. Their work seeks too to reaffirm what they see as their homeland’s essential values of compassion and tolerance. See, for example, One Man’s Journey Through Sudan’s War – Artist Bakri Moaz and his Sketchbook. In Enduring Witness, artist Galal Yousif talks about his work as muralist of the revolution and his experience of exile.

See too Artist Mohammad Mustafa Bears Witness.

Spirituality and Identity

The domes of Sufi sheikhs punctuate the landscape of northern and eastern Sudan. Learn more about these compelling structures and their spiritual heft in The Sudanese Gubba (Qubba), Darīh (DariiH) and Bayān and The Sudanese Gubba (Qubba), Darīh (DariiH) and Bayān 2. The Dervish’s Patches explores the fascinating history behind the patched jibba and its powerful religious and national symbolism.