The Slemani UNESCO Creative City of Literature Office wishes you a Happy New Year filled with joy and happiness.

Time to have a look back at what Slemani Governor and Slemani City of Literature’s Office have done in 2025

2025 has been a year of growth and global connection for Slemani by working with local and international writers, artists, and sister cities across the world.

Some of our works from this year:

• Supporting the publication of the artistic book “Lala Abda’s Masterpieces” in four languages (Kurdish, German, English, and Italian)
• Supporting the English publication of Bachtyar Ali’s acclaimed novel “THE LAST POMEGRANATE TREE” by Afsana Press (London), the work was recognized globally as one of the top 100 books in 2024.
• Sponsored the collection and publication of WRITINGS OF SHEIKH NURI SHEIKH SALIH, a literary heritage by the late Omed Ashna.
• Supporting the publication of the third edition of Kurdish Folktales, translated by Harvard Professor Wheeler Thackston. The edition preserves Kurdish oral heritage and continues the legacy of the late Vera Sa’idpour.
• Supporting the publication of THE IMAGE OF KURDS IN FRENCH ART, a unique documentary album featuring 18th and 19th-century French illustrations of Kurdistan, based on the doctoral research of Dr. Besaran Fairuz Hassan.
• INTERNATIONAL TRANSLATION DAY. To mark September 30th, we held a week-long celebration publishing poetry from 14 Creative Cities of Literature alongside Slemani, presented in Kurdish, English, and their original languages.
• BOOKS AND THE CITIES, participation in a project organized by Milan (Italy) by showcasing the history and media of 10 prominent literary, cultural, and artistic centers in Slemani.
• POETRY IN THE CITIES OF LITERATURE, participation with Odesa (Ukraine) featuring the work of poets Mr. Ranj Sangawi, Ms. Zulaikha Kareem, and Mr. Rebaz Mahmoud.
• COLLABORATION with SEATTLE CoL & KASHKUL, participation of the young poet, Zamwa Mohammed.
• KAZHAL AHMAD IN SEATTLE, translation and submission of three poems by the renowned poet Kazhal Ahmad for a special feature in Seattle’s literary magazine.
• THE BRAILLE PROJECT, contributing to Dunedin’s (New Zealand) initiative to produce Braille literature for the visually impaired, ensuring that literature remains accessible to all.
• SMALL DELIGHT, participation by the writer and translator Halo Fariq in the “Small Delight” project hosted by Leeuwarden CoL (Netherlands).
• MELBOURNE-SLEMANI Inkubator VIRTUAL EXCHANGE, a joint project between Melbourne and Slemani focused on the digital creation of literary characters through an online exchange between 10 writers from both cities for 10 weeks.
• LVIV ART LIBRARY, a cultural contribution to Lviv (Ukraine), sending 7 pictorial books introducing the visual identity and heritage of Slemani to the Art Library in the peer city.
• Participation in PEN International’s 5th Video Poem Marathon: with the poem “Niza bo Nishtiman” by the poet Nabaz Hawrami.
• Participation in the UNESCO International Meeting for Crafts and Folk-Art in Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia.
• Participation of the writer Mariwan Nasraddin in the ‘Literature and Nature Residency’ project, organized by Nanjing City of Literature in China.
• Introduction and online showcase of the local “Nani Tiri” (traditional flatbread) products by Khaje Khanim Company, along with the project creator’s profile, on the “Breads of the Creative Cities” network website within the Crafts and Folk-Art cluster.
• Online participation of The Slemani CoL’s Office in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) Annual Meeting, in Enghien-les-Bains, France, under the theme: “Culture and Artificial Intelligence: Shaping the Future of UNESCO Creative Cities.
• International Festival of Children’s Creativity: Slemani City of Literature participated with the other global cities in an international festival of children’s creativity organized by Ulyanovsk UNESCO Creative City of Literature.