Manal Younus is a South Australian based freelance storyteller. As a Muslim with Eritrean origins living in Australia, the young writer and spoken word artist uses her poetry to both discover and strengthen her identity as well as to spark thought and discussions amongst those around her. 

Poetry:
Since making the Australian Poetry Slam National Finals in 2013, Manal no longer competes in slams but has gone on to perform around the country including at The Sydney Opera House. In 2015, Manal released her first book of poetry called ‘Reap’. As an active member of grassroots community organising, performance is only a fraction of the work Manal is interested in doing. Manal facilitates writing and performance workshops with young people to help develop their own voices. With the support of the South Australian Writer’s Centre, Manal is part of the strong team that launched Soul Lounge, a unique monthly poetry and open mic night that prioritises the voices of people of colour. 

Projects:
Manal works with Act Now Theatre, a forum theatre company, to raise awareness about racism amongst high school students and community leaders in South Australia. The workshops help them to develop practical skills for ‘responding to racism’ through drama. Manal also does public speaking and personal development and leadership workshops, particularly amongst culturally and linguistically diverse communities.

Speaking: 
Manal has presented at the Adelaide TEDx Conference in 2016. The National Multicultural Women's Conference of 2016. She has presented at the Adelaide Festival of Ideas and Open State Festival as well as the Halogen Foundation's Young Leaders Convention. 

Supports: 
Still Nomads, In Our Own Words, Salt Magazine, Warriors of Aboriginal Resistance, AIME Mentoring, Rise Refugees and other organisations that focus on building resilience, education and platforms amongst minority communities through empowerment and encouraging ownership. 

Author Unknown. (n.d.). Manal Younus - About. Retrieved from http://www.manalyounuspoetry.com/about.html

Good Reads. (2015). Reap by Manal Younus. Retrieved from http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27993939-reap

Meshrefet

I watched my grandmother weave 
She’d sit on the concrete
Her henna covered soles 
Pressing down on the plaited la­­­­­kha reeds
Smooth beneath her foot

I watched her weave her story 
With patience, precision 
the wit of a woman
Her fingers tangled in the loose ends
Leading them in and out of each other

I would try to keep up
She would whisper in my mother tongue,
ghes beli - don’t rush 
Then share with me wisdom from our history 
She, illiterate 
Only had her memories 
And what her own hands could conceive

I watched her weave ­­­­
Tales of contentment and longing 
defeat and glory 
Seeped into the braided reeds 

I watched her weave ­­­­
With absolute conviction 
That my own roots were captured 
in these interwoven contradictions 
 

Note - A meshrefet is a circular mat-like object that is hand-woven from reeds. Different sizes are used for different things (smaller ones are used in making coffee - and the larger ones are used for making injera, a variety of flatbread). 
A lakha is a plant that is grown by the river, this is used to make household items and decorations in our culture. These items include meshrefets, baskets and brooms, among others. Source: 

Younus, Manal. (2017). Meshefret. Retrieved from http://redroomcompany.org/poem/manal-younus/meshrefet/

Younus, Manal. (n.d.). Homepage. Retrieved from http://manalyounuspoetry.com