Desert Mobilities Workshop 28-29 November, 2023

While there is a small body of literature in Arts and Humanities research on poetry and diplomacy that reveals a relationship between the two in cultures across the globe, the vast majority of this research focuses on historical cases. On the other hand, International Relations literature has not considered the relationship between poetry and diplomacy. Our paper argues for greater consideration of the role of poetry and poets in diplomacy. Using the case of Saharawi poets engaging Spanish, Mauritanian and international audiences, we contend that poetry can be considered a form of public diplomacy, and poets as public diplomats, when advocating for a state policy, interest or cause. We also show that studying poetry through the lens of public diplomacy allows us to learn more about the interplay of emotion and soft power. In doing so, we contribute to ongoing debates on the role of non-state actors in public diplomacy and on the place of emotion in diplomacy. Our paper is based on fieldwork carried out in late 2022 and early 2023 in Mauritania, the Saharawi state-in-exile/refugee camps in Algeria, and Spain.

Speakers

Joanna Allan is Associate Professor in Global Development at Northumbria University. Her latest book, Saharan Winds: Energy Systems and Aeolian Imaginaries in Western Sahara, will be out with West Virginia University Press in Autumn 2024.

Moiti Mohamed Azrouk works at the Training, Entrepreneurship and Consultancy Centre (TECC) in the Saharawi state-in-exile. She is also currently working on an anthology of Saharawi poetry.

Respondent

Brahim El Guabli is Associate Professor of Arabic Studies and Comparative Literature at Williams College, Massachusetts. His research encompasses language politics, indigeneity, human rights, transitional justice, political violence, archive creation, memory studies, Amazigh/Berber literatures, and environmental humanities.