Shugri Said Salh 
“The Last Nomad: Coming of Age in the Somali Desert”
Author’s Talk video (begins about 16 minutes into the video) Video Recording
Shugri Said Salh was born into a large traditional Sufi family and was sent at age six to live with her nomadic grandmother in the desert. She is the last of her family to learn this once common way of life. Although life in the desert was difficult because of drought, predators, and enemy clans, Shugri learned courage and independence from her fearless relatives and grew to love the freedom of roaming with her animals and the power of stories about her ancestors – stories which can entertain, teach and transform.
When Somalia descended into Civil War, Salh’s family was displaced along with millions of other Somalis. She fled first to a refugee camp on the Kenyan border and ultimately to America. She attended nursing school at Pacific Union College and graduated with honors. She works as an infusion nurse and lives in Sonoma County with her husband and three children. She has been storytelling since she could talk.
Her book is available through her website at www.shugrisalh.com, and wherever books are sold.
During the talk, Shugri mentioned several books and resources for those who want to learn more about Somali culture and history:
| Name of Resource | Links |
| North of Dawn, by Nuraddin Farah | Biography of Nuraddin Farah
(several other books are listed on the Britannica site.) |
| The Lion’s Binding Oath, by Ahmed Ismail Yusuf | Biography of Ahmed Ismail Yusuf |
| Call Me American, by Abdi Nor Iftin | Biography of Abdi Nor Iftin |
| The Shadow King, by Maaza Megiste
(this one is more about Ethiopia) |
Biography of Maaza Megiste |
| The Somali Museum in Minnesota | http://www.somalimuseum.org |
If you were unable to attend and would like a link to the talk, please contact Arleen Pickett (at 408-356-3233 or arleenpickett@gmail.com) or Laurie Lindsey (303-941-1956 or lauriellindsey@gmail.com for the link. It will be available for until March 26, 2022
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