Following the successful completion of the first phase, which involved collecting, documenting, and publishing a collection of folk tales, poems, and chants from Socotra, the project’s second phase commenced. This phase aims to disseminate Socotra’s folk literature to a global audience.
The second phase is underway and aims to undertake various research and cultural activities to promote Socotra’s folk literature. Project participants will work on translating the Socotra tales into English while also preserving the original Socotra language by presenting the stories in both Arabic and Latin transcripts.
The initial step involves translating previously published tales into English, allowing non-Arabic readers to access the content, values, and social concepts embedded within these narratives. The subsequent step focuses on presenting the Socotri tales in their original language, requiring the development of specialized symbols for Socotri letters. These symbols will be derived from Arabic letters, as Socotri is primarily an oral language with no established script. Additionally, Latin characters will be utilized for readers unfamiliar with Arabic script who wish to read the Socotra tales in their authentic form.
The German Goethe-Institut funds this phase of the project in partnership with the European Union and is part of the Yemeni Cultural Networks Project. It is anticipated that the project’s activities will continue to expand, encompassing more significant endeavors.
