Orwin Martin

Orwin Martin is an Associate Professor of Somali Language and Literature at the University of Naples 'L'Orientale', Department of Asia, Africa and Mediterranean. He holds a First Class Honors degree in Arabic and Amharic from SOAS (1986) and a PhD in Somali Phonology (1994). Previously, he served as Senior Lecturer at SOAS (2008–2020) and held various administrative roles including Head of Department (2011–2014).

His research focuses on Somali poetry's linguistic and aesthetic dimensions, including meter analysis, Arabic influences, and literary translation. He has published extensively on Somali poets like Hadraawi and Weedhsame, and collaborates with international institutions like the Poetry Translation Centre. Teaching spans Somali language at all levels, comparative literature, and translation studies.

He has organized conferences, including the 2018 Somali Studies Congress in Hargeysa, and contributed to academic roles such as editorial boards for African Languages and Cultures and the Journal of Somali Studies. Awards include a certificate from Hargeisa Youth Development Association for outreach work.