Bedouin Poetry in Personal and Public Spheres

Abstract

Throughout the Middle East and North Africa, Bedouin herders continue to practice their oral tradition of Nabati poetry. This chapter examines the ways that Nabati poetry is produced and shared across social media platforms. The chapter focuses on a Nabati poet, Hissa Hilal, who performed her work on the Million’s Poet reality TV competition show. Her work sparked new debates about the work of women Nabati poets as well as Bedouin women’s rights throughout the region.