Sherko Bekas

Quick Facts

• Region: Sulaymaniyah, Kurdistan Region of Iraq
• Born: May 2, 1940, Sulaymaniyah
• Died: August 4, 2013, Stockholm, Sweden
• Known for: Modern Kurdish poetry and literary innovation

Overview

Sherko Bekas was an Iraqi Kurdish poet known for modernizing Kurdish poetry and bringing it to a wider international audience. His work explored themes of freedom, love, and Kurdish identity.

He is often described as one of the founders of contemporary Kurdish poetry and remains a leading cultural figure in Kurdish literature.

Life and Work

Bekas published his first poems as a teenager and later introduced new poetic forms such as the “poster poem”. His collections were translated into multiple languages.

Legacy

His poetry continues to be read across Kurdistan and beyond, and he is widely remembered as one of the most influential Kurdish poets of the modern era.