Mohammed Abdul-Hayy
Mohammed Abdul-Hayy (1 January 1944 – 23 August 1989, Ad-Damir, Sudan) was a member of the first generation of post-colonial Sudanese writers and academics. Together with Ali El-Mak and Salah Ahmed Ibrahim, he is regarded as a pioneer of modern poetry in Sudan.
Mohammed Abdul-Hayy | |
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| Native name | محمد عبد الحي |
| Born | 1 January 1944 Ad-Damir, Sudan |
| Died | 23 August 1989 (aged 45) Khartoum, Sudan |
| Occupation | poet, literary critic, academic |
| Language | Arabic, English |
| Nationality | Sudanese |
| Alma mater | Khartoum University University of Leeds University of Oxford |
Early life
Abdul-Hayy was born in Ad-Damir on 1 January 1944. His father worked as an architect, and his mother was the daughter of an architect.[1] Abdul-Hayy accompanied his father on his travels, which provided him with an understanding of the diverse and multiracial culture of Sudan. These experiences later had a great influence on his poetry, which focuses on the question of identity in Sudan.
Education and academic career
Abdul-Hayy initially studied medicine, but his interests led him to change his area of study to the arts. Abdul-Hayy entered Khartoum University in 1962. Already as a student, articles by Abdul-Hayy were published in Sudanese newspapers, such as Al-Rayaam.
Mohammed Abdul-Hayy was awarded a Bachelor of Arts from Khartoum University in 1967, and then appointed as teaching assistant in the English department. He then got a scholarship and was sent to England, where he was awarded a Master of Arts degree in English literature from Leeds University in 1970. Abdul-Hayy's thesis focused on the Scottish poet Edwin Muir. In 1973, he was awarded a PhD in Comparative Literature from Oxford University. His PhD thesis dealt with the influence of American and English romantic thinking on Arabic poetry. After obtaining his PhD, Abdul-Hayy returned to Sudan, teaching English and comparative literature at Khartoum University. He also served as head of the Department of English from 1978 to 1980.[1] He died at the early age of 45 on 23 August 1989 in Soba University Hospital, Khartoum.
Poetry
In 1973, Abdul-Hayy released his poem Al Awada alla Sennar (Return to Sennar). It focused on the question of Sudanese cultural identity, and used the historical Kingdom of Sennar as a symbol of African and Arabic coexistence. Upon its publication, Al Awada alla Sennar gained widespread acclaim within the Arab speaking world.[1]
Selected works
Poetry
- Al Awada alla Sennar (Return to Sennar) (1973)
- Moaʾalakat al isharat (The Signals) (1977)
- Al-samandal yughanni (The Newt Sings) (1977)
- Hadiqat al-ward al-akhirah (The Last Rose Garden) (1984)
- Allah fi-zaman alʾunf (God in the Time of Violence) (1993)
Plays
- Ruʾt al-malik (The King's Vision) (1973)
Literary Criticism
- Conflict and Identity: The Cultural Poetics of Contemporary Sudanese Poetry (1967)
- The Angel and the Girl: Necessity and Liberty in Edwin Muir’s Works (1970)
- The Greek Myth in Contemporary Arabic Poetry (1900–1950): Study in Comparative Literature (1977)
- English Poets in Arabic: The Arab Romantics’ Knowledge of English Poetry (1900–1950): A Study in Comparative Literature (1980)
- Tradition and English and American Influence in Arabic Romantic Poetry: A Study in Comparative Literature (1982)
- Vision and Words: A Reading in al-Tijani Yousuf Basheer’s Poetry (1985)[1]
References
- Abdul-Latif, Emad (2008). "Mohammad Abdul-Hayy". In Akyeampong, Emmanuel K.; Gates, Henry Louis Jr (eds.). Dictionary of African Biography. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-538207-5.
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