Basra: The literary and cultural circles in Basra mourned the passing of the Basra poet Mahdi Aboud Al-Sudani, who died today, Tuesday, after a long illness, at the age of 85.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, the poet Mahdi Al-Sudani, born in Basra in 1941, is considered one of the pioneers of modern Basra poetry. He began writing poetry in 1966 and published three collections: “Ghazal Shayab” (a collaborative work with the writer Abdul Amir Al-Dirawi) in 2021, “Halahel May” in 2022, and finally, “Sudanese Quatrains” in 2023.

Al-Sudani, along with a group of poets, founded the Popular Poetry Association in Basra in 1968. He also established the Popular Poets Society in Basra in 1981, becoming its president in 1984. He participated in several festivals in Iraq and prepared and presented numerous poetry programs on Baghdad Radio in the 1980s, as well as on local radio stations in Basra. His poems were published in several Iraqi newspapers and magazines specializing in popular literature.