CAVERSHAM’s award-winning bilingual Sudanese-Australian writer, poet, playwright and dramaturg Afeif Ismail has been invited to attend the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair in the United Arab Emirates later this month.

He will be promoting his new book published in Arabic, Afeif Ismail, Al-Amal al shiaaria alkamila, or Afeif Ismail: The Complete Poetry Collection.

This collection consists of seven poetry books published in Sudan and Egypt between 2001 to 2025, titled, Traps and some Tracks, Bet of the Argil, A Passage to the Aroma of Invisibility, It’s your Bird, There! Where the Storm sleeps without Cover, What we Learned from the Wings, and The River is Another Name for Her.

The invitation comes off the back of his trip to France last year reported in Playwright off to French festival where he shared his experiences at the Bright Generations Performing Arts festival for Children and Young People.

After signing his poetry books at the Abu Dhabi event, Mr Ismail will continue his artistic tour and attend the Slash Festival organised by ArteVOX Teatro from September 18 to 27 in Milan, Italy as an international theatre professional.

Slash Festival director and vice chair of International Inclusive Arts Network Marta Galli said he believed that Mr Ismail’s expertise and vision align perfectly with the festival’s mission to foster dialogue, break down artistic barriers, and create meaningful connections between diverse creative communities.”

Mr Ismail said his aim in attending the two significant festivals in person was to engage with information exchange and networking opportunities.

“My work creates outlets for artists from non-English linguistic backgrounds to share experiences of the creative translation process. It is vital work in today’s globalised world, as I aim to raise a richer understanding and appreciation across diverse communities by bridging languages and cultural narratives through theatre and poetry,” he said.

“The works I create are a cultural bridge that celebrates identity and shared experiences while exploring significant social topics. Through this, I contribute to enriching the multicultural creative landscape in Western Australia and beyond.”

Afeif’s accolades include the 2022 ‘Ballina Region Refugees Seeking Asylum Poetry Prize’, and the 2015 Naji Naaman’s Literary Prize (Lebanon) with his work translated into French, Spanish and German.

He was a recipient of the inaugural WA Theatre Development Initiative for his play Shrouds or the Dead while his children’s play, The African Magician, was nominated for the 2011 Australian Writer’s Guild Award for Best Children’s Play.

His productions have been staged at The Blue Room Theatre, Nexus Theatre, 459 Theatre, Fringe world Festival WA, and Barking Gecko Theatre WA, and in 2008 he won the 2008 Australian National Playwrights’ Conference Bursary.