In HIBF 2026 ‘Continuity’ Takes Center Stage as Eswatini Joins Somaliland in Celebrating Literature, Indigenous Knowledge and the Passing of Heritage Across Generations
HARGEISA, Somaliland — The 19th Hargeisa International Book Fair (HIBF) opened with a resounding message that the survival of culture depends not simply on remembering the past, but on ensuring its knowledge, values, and traditions are deliberately passed from one generation to the next.
Held under the 2026 theme “Continuity,” the six-day festival transformed Hargeisa into a gathering place for writers, scholars, diplomats, poets, artists, educators, students, policymakers, and international guests from across Africa and beyond, reaffirming the fair’s reputation as one of the Horn of Africa’s leading literary and cultural events.
Opening the festival, Dr. Jama Muse Jama, founder and director of the Hargeisa International Book Fair and the Redsea Cultural Foundation, described continuity as the heartbeat of Somaliland’s cultural future.
“This is what we mean by continuity,” Dr. Jama said. “It is not simply the passage of time. It is the conscious transfer of memory, responsibility, purpose and vision from one generation to another.”
His remarks set the tone for a festival devoted to celebrating literature as a living force capable of preserving identity while inspiring future generations.
A Festival Built by Generations
Looking back over nearly two decades, Dr. Jama reflected on how the book fair itself has become an example of its central theme.
Many of today’s organizers, he noted, first attended HIBF as children. Today, they lead the very institution that helped shape their intellectual lives.
That evolution, he said, demonstrates that cultural institutions endure only when leadership and knowledge are intentionally shared.
The festival now stands not merely as an annual event but as a cultural institution that has become woven into Somaliland’s educational and intellectual landscape.
Eswatini Brings Southern Africa to Hargeisa
This year’s Guest Country, the Kingdom of Eswatini, added a distinctly pan-African dimension to the festival.
Leading the delegation were Dr. Boyie Sabelo Dlamini and Judith Mthupha, whose participation underscored growing cultural connections between Somaliland and Southern Africa.
Welcoming the delegation, Dr. Jama emphasized that literature transcends geography.
“Literature and storytelling know no borders across our continent.”
He described the partnership as one built not only through diplomacy but through shared traditions, oral history, poetry and artistic expression.
Indigenous Knowledge as Africa’s Strength
One of the festival’s most anticipated discussions came during the Guest Country panel exploring indigenous knowledge and cultural preservation.
Presenting his paper, “The Power of Hybrid Indigenous Knowledge and Contribution,” Dr. Boyie Sabelo Dlamini argued that indigenous knowledge remains indispensable to Africa’s future.
Rather than viewing traditional knowledge as outdated, he described it as an evolving system that grows stronger when combined with scientific research and contemporary learning.
Knowledge developed through generations of interaction with local environments, he explained, equips communities with practical solutions while preserving cultural identity.
According to Dr. Dlamini, hybrid indigenous knowledge enables societies to modernize without abandoning their roots.
Protecting Heritage Before It Disappears
Joining the discussion, librarian and heritage specialist Judith Mthupha highlighted the importance of documenting traditions before they are lost.
Drawing upon more than twenty years of experience in heritage preservation, she described her work recording Swazi clan histories, oral traditions and cultural practices that remain vulnerable to disappearance.
She stressed that safeguarding culture cannot rely solely on museums or archives.
Instead, communities must actively involve young people.
Using Eswatini’s renowned Umhlanga Reed Dance as an example, Mthupha explained that the annual celebration serves as a living classroom where cultural values accompany ceremonial practice.
“The youth are encouraged to attend such events,” she said, explaining that they learn principles, responsibilities and traditions directly from older generations.
The discussion closely mirrored HIBF’s theme by illustrating that culture survives only when it is lived rather than merely remembered.
Edna Adan: Books Build Bridges Between Nations
Honorary Patron Edna Adan Ismail welcomed participants with an address that celebrated literature’s unique ability to connect cultures.
She described the Hargeysa International Book Fair as far more than a gathering of writers.
Instead, she said, it represents a meeting place where friendships, understanding and peaceful cooperation emerge through books.
Reflecting on the fair’s remarkable journey from a modest initiative to an internationally respected institution, Edna Adan credited perseverance and continuity for its success.
She noted that the festival has inspired numerous book fairs across Somaliland and neighboring countries.
Addressing Somaliland’s youth, she encouraged them to embrace reading and writing as lifelong companions.
“Make reading the foundation of your life, writing your voice, and knowledge your contribution to the peace and development of Somaliland.”
She also encouraged international visitors to experience Somaliland beyond the festival by exploring the prehistoric rock art of Laas Geel, visiting the coastal city of Berbera, and experiencing the country’s renowned hospitality.
Government Backs Cultural Development
Opening the ceremony on behalf of the Somaliland government, Minister of Information Barkhad Jama Batuun emphasized that preserving knowledge is essential for national development.
“This year’s theme, Continuity, reminds us that progress is only meaningful when it is rooted in our history and our shared values.”
He called upon Somaliland to ensure creativity, dialogue and education continue flourishing so future generations inherit both the country’s stories and the confidence to write new ones.
Dr. Jama likewise thanked multiple government institutions—including the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Education, Trade and Tourism, Information, immigration authorities and security services—for helping make the international festival possible.
He praised Somaliland’s peaceful environment as a prerequisite for cultural exchange and international cooperation.
British Office Praises Reading and Independent Thought
Representing the international diplomatic community, Louise Hancock, Head of the British Office in Somaliland, delivered one of the ceremony’s most memorable speeches.
Beginning with a personal reflection, she told the audience:
“I never went anywhere without a book. It taught me how to think, not what to think.”
She congratulated Dr. Jama, the Redsea Cultural Foundation and the Hargeisa Cultural Centre for sustaining the festival for nineteen consecutive years.
Describing herself as a lifelong book lover, Hancock argued that reading cultivates independent thinking rather than passive acceptance.
Books, she said, carry ideas across generations and ensure knowledge continues shaping future societies.
Her remarks echoed the festival’s overarching message that literature remains one of humanity’s strongest bridges between the past and the future.
Honoring Cultural Icons
The opening ceremony also paused to honor two respected figures whose contributions helped shape Somaliland’s cultural life.
Participants paid tribute to veteran journalist and producer Mahamud Abdi Ali “Duale” and celebrated poet Adan Tarabbi Jama, remembering their lasting contributions to journalism, literature and Somali poetry.
Dr. Jama invited the audience to remember their service while offering prayers for peace and mercy upon them.
Six Days of Literature, Art and Dialogue
This year’s HIBF features an ambitious program designed to engage readers, academics, artists and families alike.
The festival includes:
- More than 44 book launches
- 22 academic and social discussion panels
- Poetry readings
- Art exhibitions
- Traditional dance performances
- Musical concerts
- Children’s educational programs
- Cultural exhibitions
- Literary discussions featuring Somali, African and international writers
International partners—including the British Office, the Danish Office and the Taiwan Representative Office—continue supporting the festival alongside Somaliland institutions, volunteers and private sponsors.
Dr. Jama also acknowledged new sponsor Omaar Company, while thanking Dahabshiil for its longstanding commitment to the fair.
A Celebration of Africa’s Shared Future
As the opening ceremony concluded, one message resonated above all others.
Whether expressed through Somali oral poetry, Swazi cultural traditions, literature, education or scholarship, speakers agreed that continuity is neither nostalgia nor resistance to change.
Rather, it is the deliberate act of ensuring each generation inherits the wisdom, confidence and cultural identity necessary to shape its own future.
The partnership between Somaliland and Eswatini embodied that vision—demonstrating that African societies, though separated by thousands of kilometers, share common traditions of resilience, storytelling and community.
The 19th Hargeysa International Book Fair thus opened not only as a celebration of books but as a celebration of Africa’s enduring cultural inheritance—one carried forward through memory, dialogue and the written word.
