Hauwa Shaffii Nuhu
@WaasiShaffii
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poet. storyteller. managing editor @HumAngle_
Joined November 2014
falmata died because of many things: patriarchy and how it enables ridiculous concepts like honour killings, and misogyny. but most importantly, she died because her killer knew he could get away with it. my latest for @HumAngle_ . #FalmataWasKilled .
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In Katsina, a 14yr old girl was almost raped by a man. The only thing that stopped him was her taking a razor and slashing his penis. I Stan. On 14th April, he will be arraigned before the court. Beautiful. Masha Allah.
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i once loved a man who looked at me like he couldn’t believe i was real. it was beautiful. he was beautiful.
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up there with having to take yourself to the hospital. alone.
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But what exactly is wrong with you men? Is it the way society raised you guys? Is it like an inborn thing, this burning blinding need to sexualize women every single time? Do we have to start putting y'all in halls and beg y'all through a microphone to please have sense?.
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for @HumAngle_ , i spent some days with women who have had to be married to boko haram terrorists. i spoke to them about the sex life of the insurgents. it was as scarring as it was illuminating.
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At the henna place, there's a 12yr old girl having her henna drawn. She has just informed the artist that she'll have to spend the night here because it's too late to go home. And she's 100% sure that if she takes a bike home at this time, the bikeman will rape her. She's 12.
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the only reason students would kill and burn their own classmate, and film it while admitting on record that they did it, is the knowledge that they will get away with it. if the nigerian police does not prove them wrong, we are messed up as a country. #JusticeForDeborah.
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When Rihanna says I love gangstas who wear red 😂.
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i arrived new york city over the weekend for the #ochberg fellowship at columbia university by @DartCenter and it has been such a dream. so much of the learnings are relevant to my work at @HumAngle_. very grateful to have made it to this brilliant cohort.
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there was also the way his eyes came alive everytime we were together. it was mutual. i couldn’t believe he was real, either.
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so thrilled, so completely humbled to have been selected for the dart ochberg fellowship at columbia university. i have always been passionate about reporting conflict ethically, and so i’m excited and grateful at the prospect of learning from industry experts. Maa Shaa Allah.
We are thrilled to announce the 2024 #Ochberg Fellows!. Read more here:
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the cover for my chapbook — forthcoming with @AkashicBooks and the @AfricanPoetryBF — came in a couple days ago and my heart has been filled with so many (positive) things. but the thing that is loudest is gratitude. an overwhelming, loud, immersive gratitude. masha Allah
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the buni yadi massacre was done methodically. as boys slept, insurgents threw balls of fire under their bunk beds, shot those who tried to escape, and slaughtered others. for @HumAngle_ , i documented it close-up. here’s the first of the stories.
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Kaduna legit just casually gave us a female deputy governor. RESPECT.
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it feels as though i am finally ready to share: my chapbook manuscript, “like a gift unto ourselves” has been selected by kwame dawes and chris abani for the new-generation african poets boxset series. slated for publication next year by Akashic Books and APBF.
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in my latest for @africaarguments , i write about this trend in a community in kano, where men disappear when their wives go into labour, to avoid footing the financial costs, and how hajiya gambo set up a group to step in for these women:
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it is here and it is glorious. i am so, so humbled, subhanallah. alhamdulillah. masha Allah.
the cover for my chapbook — forthcoming with @AkashicBooks and the @AfricanPoetryBF — came in a couple days ago and my heart has been filled with so many (positive) things. but the thing that is loudest is gratitude. an overwhelming, loud, immersive gratitude. masha Allah
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telling me about your day. texting me whenever something remotely eventful happens. someone was late to your meeting and it annoyed you? you ordered jollof rice at a restaurant and they gave you fried rice? tell me everything.
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a good day to reshare this creative nonfiction of mine published on @Lolwe_ two years ago 🧡. Sister, Sister - Hauwa Shaffii Nuhu | Lolwe
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great literature is so powerful. where would we be without it?.
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Lol this happens a lot more in Arewa than folks outside here know. I plan on doing an essay lmao. Some of them do it so they can have threesomes. Others do it for their gay partners. The bad thing is that the 2nd wife usually doesn't know until after d wedding. This tea is hot😂.
I need a Muslim man to marry so I can allow him marry the real love of my life as a second wife.
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this documentary, done with support from @pulitzercenter, is my first longform multimedia project, and it is about a group of people i have immense love and respect for: nigeria’s knifar women. out on nov. 27.
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i wrote about the #ArewaMeToo movement, and how patriarchal institutions fought against it (and still continue to do), while also documenting the successes we have recorded.
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the buni yadi massacre of 2014 was probably one of the worst human atrocities since the boko haram terror group was birthed in nigeria’s northeast. as teenage schoolboys slept in their hostel, the insurgents slaughtered, burned, and shot them.
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somewhere in Nigeria, a journalist is preparing to send off a pitch titled “Investigating Nigeria’s Counterfeit Market” 😅.
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by all means, teach your children excellence, but please never let them hinge their sense of self worth on academic excellence.
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@HumAngle_ spent some days with drug addicts in kano state, trying to understand and make meaning of their histories. in this report, the first of many to come on the subject, i narrate Terror’s story through addiction, prison, traditional rehab.
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omo. my guys and i passed the bar exam. we are lawyers now. i am in awe of your grace, ya Jabbar. i am in absolute awe. alhamdulillah rabbil alameen.
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very excited to share that my first academic paper has just been published! in it, my co-author and i argue that localised digital activism is vital, using #arewametoo as case study. we argue that ethnographic studies are vital to cultural specificity.
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every time i return from the field, i am filled with a sinking realisation: we may never really scratch the surface of the impact the insurgency has had on people in nigeria’s northeast. entire families wiped out. people forced to bear witness to the massacre of their friends and.
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Today, we took the gospel of consent to Galaxy International School, talked to them about sexual abuse and harassment and why they must grow up to be better people. Also talked about how shame has no place in their lives, what to do in uncomfortable situations and etc#ArewaMeToo
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Hi Twitter. I'm doing my dissertation and focusing it on Khul'(the right of women to seek divorce in Islam). If you have exercised this right before or know anyone who has, please send me a DM or email me at hauwshaf@gmail.com if you're willing to answer some questions 💛. Pls RT.
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i have new work up at Lolwe. it is a nonfictional piece. in it, i am loving my sister.
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@Marshalniyi @hassana_maina I'm just glad that you recognize the fact that you need that class in your life. Please know that it's okay to need help. You can speak with professionals about it ❤❤.
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good morning. please if you live in minna and work with a radio station or have access to one, please give me 30mins to one hour to come on air to talk about the #EndSars protests. we need visibility and awareness beyond social media. our people listen to the radio religiously.
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i'll be in kaduna this saturday, in shaa Allah, reading poetry and talking about my chapbook. join us, if you can❤️.
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This personal essay has had such an interesting journey and I am so so delighted to finally be able to share it with you all. Major thanks to @republicjournal for taking it, and to @WalleLawal.for hearing me out even though I was over the word count.
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Today we rallied together in Minna to walk against sexual abuse, in the quest to push #ArewaMeToo outside social media. Grateful for a great and passionate team. Next week, we begin the secondary school visits for awareness and enlightenment for students. #ArewaMeToo
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this is one of the many ways in which patriarchy harms women even religiously and spiritually. while men are allowed time to do other religious obligations and make profitable use of their time in ramadan, women don’t have that much time and choice.
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i thought i needed a masters in journalism to sharpen my craft. i know now that what i need is a masters in creative nonfiction.
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gentle reminder that i’m still the nonfiction editor at @agbowoart and always looking forward to submissions especially for our next issue, themed ‘reincarnation.’ we pay $60 for each accepted essay. visit the website, read the submission guidelines, then send your submission 🧡.
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looking forward to the #AIMConference in Abuja next week.
Dive into the discourse on media evolution with @WaasiShaffii, managing editor of @HumAngle_!. Catch her insights on the discussion around the global changing media landscapes at the 2023 #AIMConference on December 8-9 at Abuja Continental Hotel. Don't miss out!
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this past monday, i had the privilege of sitting with experts like @IlwadElman, @akilu_fatima, and morten bøås, in oslo, norway, to participate in a panel by the @UNDPOGC, discussing the triggers and fuel of violent extremism in sub-saharan africa.
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of course people will console you by saying that cooking iftar is an act of ibadah. but why do my acts of ibadah have to be influenced by…the fact that i am a woman? why can i not prefer qira’a to it?.
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happy birthday, hauwa shaffii nuhu. i am in awe of your grace and splendor. you are an incredible experience. a whole package.
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apparently, good things happen in july. so stoked to be resuming as the nonfiction editor of agbowo, a journal i have long admired and respected 💗💗💗 looking forward to doing my best to continue the good work.
We hereby announce the appointment of Hauwa Nuhu Shaffii, Nome Emeka Patrick, and Adedayo Agarau to the positions of Non-fiction Editor, Poetry Editor and Editor-in-chief, respectively.
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i wish there was a cure for anxiety. i’m so tired of living this way. it’s both exhausting and painful. i’m tired.
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i spoke with women in northeast nigeria who are either displaced or have spent time in captivity, about their abortion practices. my latest for @HumAngle_
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mariam spoke to me about her belief in the boko haram course, & why she spent a decade of her life in sambisa. stories like hers are important towards understanding the insurgency & why response to it has to be diverse. my latest for @HumAngle_
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Been only distantly involved with #ArewaMetoo bcs I didn't think myself mentally or emotionally ready to get involved but at some point, something has to give. So. Can we all take the hashtag to the streets and schools? I'm in Minna, I can put something together here this week.
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what does war do to children? first, it alters their understanding of family. then, it alters the course of their lives from the roots. speaking with 13-year-old amir was a special yet heartbreaking experience. my latest for @HumAngle_ .
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while my sister and i slave away in the kitchen from 3 pm to 7 pm everyday, trying to prepare different dishes for the house for iftar, my good sir gets to sit in the living room, reciting the Qur’an for hours on end.
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"I knew what I was doing was against the rules. But he(father) was smiling, so I knew it wasn't wrong; the rules were wrong". Arya Stark, in #GameOfThrones.
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my latest for @HumAngle_. Someone Is Stealing Babies From Displaced Mothers In Northeastern Nigeria
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anddd we’re live. in this documentary, my latest for @HumAngle_ , with support from @pulitzercenter, i document the origin and journey of the knifar women of nigeria’s northeast. #Knifarwomen . Knifar: The Women Who Spoke Up via @YouTube.
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there is no one point to art lol. people will digest and process art — including movies — by their personal lenses and histories. it does not make it any invalid. i don’t think there’s any such thing as “missing the point” when it comes to art.
It’s incredibly wild to me how people have, by a wide margin, missed the point of Squid Game.
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When ArewaMeToo started, someone said that if students in universities in Nigeria decided to do a University version of MeToo, we as a nation would not be able to take it. Just look at the stories that have surfaced from ABU alone between yesterday and today. My God.
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thank you so much @BudgITng for the recognition. it means a great deal ✨✨.
A big congratulations to @HumAngle_’s @WaasiShaffii for spotlighting the adverse effects of terrorism and insurgency on marginalised communities in the Northeastern part of Nigeria. Thanks for the tremendous work you do through investigative journalism.
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the other day i shared the story about my neighbor who had weed for sahur. there are certainly muslims who struggle with addiction through ramadan. in my latest for @popula, i am narrating my own experience and those of a few other people 😊❤️
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being a conflict reporter means standing in the overwhelmingness of external grief and trying to escalate it to the world. it means bearing witness. it is important. but in february, it sent me into an existential crisis. for al jazeera, i wrote about it.
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love that holds you even through space, love that stays — not despite or inspite of anything, love that just stays. i lucked in on this friendship thing because yooooooo.
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Strangers who see you sitting alone and dejected on a sidewalk. Who ask if you're alright and then sit beside you when you do not respond. Who wait until the tide has passed and you have recollected yourself. Who then squeeze your shoulder and walk away. Strangers who are angels.
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when poets write prose, it’s always such a beauty.
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no major breakdowns. became a lawyer. got my chapbook of poetry published under a project i dreamt of and admired for long. moved to a new city. working in a place i completely adore. loved, and lost. self-harm free the whole year (i think). grew/growing as a journalist.
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we have always lived in precarious times where the bodies of women are the first stop for violence in conflicts. but we are resisting those times. we always will.
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i visited an IDP camp in maiduguri, nigeria, and found that husbands with zero training were having to step in as midwives for their wives in the absence of healthcare. but love is not enough for a successful childbirth. my latest for @HumAngle_
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most emotional part of eid is when people troop out after prayers to burial grounds all around town to spend time with and pray for their loved ones buried there. because the grief is most acute on joyful days like this one. may Allah console everyone who is grieving ❤️.
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the @HumAngle_ team is really such a delightful and inspiring gathering. i am so so proud to be there. i received my chapbook today and the reaction at the office was so nice. my heart’s so full. and my boss bought me a sumptuous lunch too. i should publish books more often 😂❤️.
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congratulations @SonOfOlokun, @SaddiqDzukogi, and @Sueddieagema, all brothers of mine, on this historic milestone. thank you for illuminating this path and showing young nigerian poets what becomes possible when we are brave enough to believe.
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will i write something this good again? hmmn. time shall tell. Sister, Sister - Hauwa Shaffii Nuhu | Lolwe
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fine writing excites me so much and fills me with purpose. i am editing one right now, and despite the heaviness of the subject matter the author is handling, the writing is making my heart leap because of the care brought into it.
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“There is a boy he knows, he says, whose mind never returned to him after that night of the massacre.”. my latest for @HumAngle_ 🧡
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today i’m grateful to @TroyOnyango and @Lolwe_ for giving my essay such a kind and accommodating home.
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you actually have to believe every man capable of misogyny, no matter how progressive or different he seems. a man is a man, no matter his level of activism and ‘feminism.’ . men have patriarchy on their side. anyone who has patriarchy on their side is capable of misogyny.
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always so grateful that this nonfictional piece of mine found a home in lolwe 🌺. it’s been three years (i think?) and that gratitude hasn’t waned. thank you @Lolwe_ !.
Sister, Sister – Hauwa Shaffii Nuhu
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it is astounding the things you can achieve for yourself career-wise once you recede from the crowd and shut out the noise.
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if you’re not following @HumAngle_, now’s the time 😅. because the things we’re doing this year? the stories we’re telling? HOW we’re telling them? it is best experienced than described. join us on this revolutionary journey 🧡.
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“There is a history of violence trailing Sadiq and his kind, and he had expected a continuation of that history, especially in a place as characterised by violence as a Boko Haram camp.”. my latest for @HumAngle_ ✨✨
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last year, i came across this couple at the airport in doha. they so in sync. he would turn to her and she would immediately know he wanted his phone and then proceed to hand it to him. she would sigh in someway and he would immediately know she wanted water and hand her a bottle.
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in my debut profile at @folionigeria (where i’m now a staff writer), i’m profiling @Hamzarion, his incredible work in hydrodynamism, & him and his team building a modernized cart for mai shayi sellers. Hamza Yunusa Wants to Water Nigeria
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you have to put your head down and actually do the work.
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a writer. — i forget who, now — once wrote something along the lines of “you think you’re too good to beg for anything, until love pushes you on your knees.” everytime that line comes to mind, i say God, please.
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recently had this poem of mine published in the still standing issue of @minerallitmag 🌸. prayer by Hauwa Shauffii Nuhu - mineral lit mag
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in this article for @sahelien_com , i wrote about the birth, evolution and dynamism of the #ArewaMeToo movement, citing the incredible work that @hassana_maina and her team in borno continue to do. The #ArewaMeToo movement endures via @sahelien_com.
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it is a wonderful feeling to know you are part of something great.
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@JagguEsla @caramel__queen_ Is it that you can't read Hausa, or you didn't read the caption, or you just have too much time on your hands with no desire for deduction?.
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oberyn martel: we don’t hurt little girls in dorne. cersei lannister: everywhere in the world, they hurt little girls.
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as i worked through falmata’s memory, speaking with people who knew her, it became clear that she was a remarkable kid. there is so much she could have done with her life. and it is this that hurts the most; the fact that none of it is possible anymore. #FalmataWasKilled.
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i recently wrote about amir, the 14-year-old whose mother was detained a decade ago. so happy to share that after 11 years in detention, she has now been released. but what have all these years done to her? a lot, sadly. latest for @HumAngle_
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