the wonders of multilingualism #7: comforting sounds
In the seventh edition of Wonders of Multilingualism, singing and music prove to be wonderful ways of dealing with language, identity, comfort, and intergenerational cross-pollination. Comforting Sounds begins with Sîpan Sezgin Tekin's show about the historically oppressed Kurdish dialect, which we will rediscover together with a song. Echoes of the performance then resound in the work of Aya Sabi and the poetry of Myriem El-Kaddouri.
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Price
language
YEK/E
The performance The Absent Academy – YEK/E kicks off the evening. Author, performer, theatre maker, and storyteller Sîpan Sezgin Tekin teaches us a Kurdish song. Tekin takes on the role of a highly qualified teacher and immerses the audience in the historically oppressed Kurdish dialect. By learning the sounds, words, and phrases that make up the song, we actively participate in the rediscovery and appreciation of this lost, suppressed knowledge. This naturally leads us to the question: how do language and identity influence our society?
singing
Author Aya Sabi then discusses another type of singing. Zo zingt de pijn (How the pain sings) is the title of her latest book, in which she explores whether we can move from intergenerational trauma towards intergenerational consolation. “The pain was in my body, so it was mine. Once I recognized it, after a lifetime it began to break free.” A poetic quest for healing (in the mind and the body) and for safety. In the here and now.
thruth in abundance
Language, identity, and comfort also flow through the poetry of Myriem El-Kaddouri – a lawyer, slam poetry champion, and the Letterzetter (city poet) of Kortrijk. In 2024, she made her debut with the collection Hier ligt de waarheid in overdaad (Here lies the truth in abundance), for which she won the C. Buddingh' Prize in 2025. She explores universal, human emotions alongside different layers of identity. Or how contradictory worlds often turn out to be just an illusion. Myriem El-Kaddouri presents a selection of poems from her work that thematically tie in with the evening, in Dutch and English translation. Aya Sabi presents an excerpt from her new book about intergenerational pain and comfort. This is followed by an interactive discussion with the audience.
about the artists
Myriem El-Kaddouri (1994) holds master's degrees in Law and Business Economics. She works as a contract and healthcare law solicitor and is a sought-after public speaker. In 2023, Myriem became the slam poetry champion of West Flanders, and has since performed her texts on many stages in Belgium and the Netherlands. She was named Letterzetter (city poet) of the City of Kortrijk for 2024–2026.
Myriem El-Kaddouri (1994) holds master's degrees in Law and Business Economics. She works as a contract and healthcare law solicitor and is a sought-after public speaker. In 2023, Myriem became the slam poetry champion of West Flanders, and has since performed her texts on many stages in Belgium and the Netherlands. She was named Letterzetter (city poet) of the City of Kortrijk for 2024–2026.
Aya Sabi (1995) is a writer. In 2020, she was named by the NRC as one of the literary talents of the year. Her debut novel Half leven (Half-life) was nominated for the Confituur Boekhandelsprijs, the Hebban Debuutprijs, and the Opzij Literatuurprijs, and won the PrixFintro Publieksprijs. In 2024, Sabi received the Jonge Veer ( a prestigious prize for a young writer who has made a special contribution to the Dutch language) and the Flemish Culture Prize (Ultima) for Emerging Talent. Zo zingt de pijn (How the pain sings) was published in 2025.
pictures: myriem el-kaddouri © damon de backer,aya sabi © iratxe alvarez, Sîpan Sezgin Tekin © peterisviksna
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