Choman Hardi

Choman Hardi was born in Iraqi Kurdistan just before her family fled to Iran. She returned to her hometown at the age of five and lived there until she was fourteen. When the Iraqi government used chemical weapons on the Kurds in 1988 her family fled to Iran again. She lived in Iraq, Iran and Turkey before coming to England in 1993.

Choman studied philosophy and psychology at Queen's College, Oxford
and has an MA in philosophy from University College London. Recently, she was awarded a PhD in the mental health of Kurdish women by the University of Kent in Canterbury.

She has published three collections of poetry in Kurdish: 'Return with no
memory' (Denmark, 1996), 'Light of the shadows' (Sweden, 1998), and 'Selected poems' (Kurdistan, 2003). Life for us, her first collection of poetry in English, was published by Bloodaxe in 2004.

Choman was commissioned by the South Bank and Apples and Snakes to take part in the Poetry International Festival in 2002, and was awarded a Jerwood-Arvon Young Poet's Apprenticeship in 2003.

She has facilitated creative writing workshops for Apples and Snakes, Exiled Writers Ink!, the Arvon foundation and the British Council (UK, Belgium, Czech republic, India and Switzerland). She was resident in Moniack Mhor writers' centre (2004) where she facilitated creative writing workshops for Highland writers and schools. Choman was the chair of Exiled Writers' Ink! (2001-2003) which aims to support refugee writers whose voice has not been represented in the main stream British media.

Her father Ahmad Hardi, who also lives in London, is a very well-known and much respected Kurdish poet:

''Poetry started with my father. His regular recital of poetry at moments of anger, sadness, and laughter has had the greatest effect on me'' - Choman Hardi.

''Choman Hardi's poems tell of tragedy, war, persecution and dispersal, but are far more than simple summonings of facts. The grace and rhythm of the telling - the singing of it - moves the poems beyond reportage. There is a kind of tranquility and civilization in the voice which heals as it weeps.'' George Szirtes.