2ndtoNone wrote:twisted
bro so what you saying to be important somali one has to be a writer with many and wide ranges of books which expose ever somali's dirty laundry(qabiilism, treatment of women, religion, illiteracy etc) for the world to see and then use the income from the sales to set uo a nice villa in some hot city by the sea (say like cape town), and never be in the ''kitchen'' as the mercury rises.
somalis who are in inside the country day in day out such as doctors aiding the wounded and council victims of war or diseases and teacher who are educating youngsters ect. these somalis are not important according to your criteria.
i think though your admiration for the guy has obscured you the reality of who can be considered most important somali.
no doubt the guy is very influential in the world of literature but to say the most important living somali i doubt it very very much.
That’s a poor way to read my point.
Nurradin Farah writes his novels from a historical angle. They are meant as a commentary of the Somali situation and the realities we find ourselves trapped in. Correctly depicting our social problems is important because only then can we learn from our mistakes and hope to move towards a progressive path and this is why his books are very important. Much after he is gone, people will still read his works and will utilize as an important understanding about the turbulent history of our people.
This is not to say that the doctors, teachers, and others who are engaged in admirable work on behalf of the Somali people don’t deserve to be honored, much to the contrary.
Maybe, I should have stated my point in more unambiguous terms earlier. I think Nurradin Farah is the most important Somali intellectual. I think you will agree with me here.
Somalia might be a nation of poets, but the truth is, I don't know anything about our revered poets. Shame on me. 
