GUEST CURATOR – HANI ABDILE

“As we step into 2025, the world spins faster than ever, revealing both our greatest challenges and our most inspiring times. In a time of rapid change, where human rights are dismissed, our communities and voices from every corner call for justice. Stories are our anchors and our wings.

Storytelling is the foundation of our shared humanity. It’s the courage to speak our truth, the bridge that connects cultures, and the possibility of living a better world for the next generation. When uncertainty arrives, stories become the a place to rest our energy through the unknown, reminding us of our strength and resilience. 

Our diverse narratives create discussion and embody hope. They carry the weight of our history and shape the future, fueling conversations that challenge, inspire, and transform.

Co-curating for Story week  2025, I am humbled to stand at this crossroads, where words have the power to heal, to find change, and to forge new paths. I'm honored to use this platform to welcome our stories, rewrite our futures, and inspire the world to listen, reflect, and act with just word.”
Hani Abdile: Story Week 2025 Guest Curator – Chasing Change

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Hani Abdile is a Somali-born spoken-word artist and cultural activist whose words resonate with raw emotion and social consciousness. 

Hani uses her art to advocate for social justice and empowerment, particularly within migrant and refugee communities.  Based in the country of the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, in Sydney. 

Hani’s first book of 43 poems, I Will Rise, was published by Writing Through Fences in 2016.  I Will Rise explores how the power of our collective voices can help shape the world to be a better place for the next generation. 

Hani has performed her work around Sydney and throughout Australia. She continues to write for freedom and human rights. Hani is an honorary member of PEN International, a lead member of Writing Through Fences, and an Ambassador for the Refugee Advice and Casework Service (RACS).

Hani’s work has appeared in ABC, The Sydney Morning Herald, Shark Island Productions, and she has received many awards for her community work and creative art.