Mehmed ‘Meho’ Saćip (1944–2015) was an Arli Rom from Gnjilane, Kosovo who, amid rising ethnic tensions in Kosovo in the 1990s, migrated to other parts of the former Yugoslavia and settled in Subotica.

Meho was active participant in the lively Romani cultural scene and social life in Kosovo. Since 1980s he has published five collections of poetry and co-edited (with Alija Krasnići) an anthology of Romani poetry. In the 1980s he was one of the first Romani writers to publish contemporary poetry for Romani children: Loli phabaj – Crvena jabuka [Red apple].

Mehmed Saćip was a pioneer of Roman journalism, as a speaker and editor for the first Romani-language radio programme in Kosovo in 1980s. In addition, he established a Romani theatre group in which as many as 100 people were involved, translated classical theatre plays into Romani and wrote theatre music.

Selected bibliography

Saćipeso, Mehmed. 1984. Bučarne vasta – Vredne ruke. Gilana: Prosveta.

Saćip, Mehmed. 1995. Sofrako Miškuipe. Pomeranje sofre. Priština: Novi svet.

Saćip, Mehmed. 1998. Mirikle. Gnjilane: Radio Gnjilane/ Centar kulture Zarija R. Popović/ Narodna biblioteka Janko Veselinović.

Saćip, Mehmed. 2004. Kalendar. Subotica: Kulturni centar Roma.