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This year, we wanted to showcase authors of all sorts here at Sakina Literary Society of the Arts, and give readers and writers a look behind the scenes at different Muslim authors' writing journeys. With this, we hoped to demystify the act (and art) of writing, to showcase the vast variety of Muslim authors and their works, and to encourage you to join them in their literary endeavours without fear. We start off our 2026 interviews with Nida Rashid, author of From You...to You, Post Parting, and HumDrums. You can find her on Instagram as @ennarre.
Did you always feel drawn to poetry? What got you into writing poetry? Yes. I always felt drawn to tones and rhythm. Poetry appealed to me, ironically because of Quran recitation (in the Quran itself, it is repeated that the Quran is not mere poetry for entertainment). The calming tones, and various recitations led me to recognize how words can carry powerful meaning in their rhythm. When I discovered spoken word poetry on Youtube, I was completely mesmerized. Once, in high school, I had to present a biology project but had only 24 hours to come up with a presentation. I realized poems are easy to memorize, so I made a 3 minute spoken word poem about the topic. My science teacher was so impressed that science could be presented in an artistic form--I got an A. From then on, whenever I needed to remember a difficult topic--I wrote a poem. Who were some of the major influences/supports, real or fictional, in your creative writing journey? Sarah Kay - her spoken word on Youtube is what helped me gain confidence to speak my poems aloud. My friends - who would read my poems and tell me they felt something in reading it. What's your ideal writing environment like? Poetry hits me at odd times. I don't think I've ever sat and wrote in a spot. I could be on a bus, in the car, or in bed, and a line will come to me and I'll jot it down on whatever I can--my phone, a notebook--and I'll take it from there. It's often in the stillness of being completely immersed in the present moment--so it could be any environment. As long as I am present, I can write. If I had to create an ideal environment to write, it would be in a cafe, at night time, no music, dim lights, in a notebook, with other focused writers around. What was the process behind getting your first poetry collection out? One of my mentors, Aunty Rafia (Allah have mercy on her) kept pushing me to get my poetry out. She introduced me to someone who had published books on Kindle's self-publishing platform, and after seeing the way it worked, I began organizing the poems I had written over five years into themes. Once I had a rough manuscript, I had no excuse but to try to publish. What is your favourite piece of written work, currently, of your own? And why? Ah, this completely depends on my mood. But one of my most memorable poetry experiences was writing "Watching the Garbage Men". It starts, " the remains of our humanity/the evidence of our breaths/is being lugged away by two men in vests". In my master's program we had an "Everyday Life Project", where we had to turn everyday moments into art. I noticed the garbage men that day and jotted down a few lines--and I went up to them and asked if I could read them the poem. I think in that moment as we all paused and listened to a poem, they were completely stunned. But I felt that my poem had given them a memorable experience in their daily job. I think the line I am most proud of in that poem is, "All of our junk has the same fate/even if some bags carry more weight/as our weekly remains are emptied by these men/they allow us to begin to live again". What inspires/motivates you the most when writing? Writing feels cathartic. The feeling of writing something that's been stuck in my heart or mind itself is inspiring. So the more I write, the more I am motivated to write. I especially feel motivated when I read a poem or a line in a novel that I have to sit with for a bit, and wonder how I can recreate that moment. Are you working on anything currently? Yes! I'm working on turning my Everyday Life Poems into a compilation that includes more everyday moments. I am also working on a non-fiction teaching manual to help with literary instruction. Do you only write poetry, or are you interested in other genres? I am interested in trying to write novels. Poetry captures moments, but storytelling is a collection of moments. I have jotted down many ideas and characters but am struggling to put it all together. I have written some short stories. For some reason, all my short stories end up being silent horror, psychological thriller, and dark comedy types. So I'd like to explore that a bit more. What are some of your favourite reads? This is a hard one, so I'll list books that I can read again and again. Adam Bede or Middlemarch by George Eliot. Eliot writes as if she is painting a picture. Her stories feel so real and the sentiments feel so familiar that you cannot help but see yourself in her writing, even though she's writing in the 19th century. She is known for her realism, but there's something magical there. Harry Potter by J.K Rowling - these are classic comforts. Holes by Louis Sachar. I probably read this once a year. It is masterful story-telling. I recently read Circe by Madeline Miller and it's been a long time since a book felt that good to read; by the end I was completely stunned and couldn't stop thinking of some of the moments in the book. What are some of your favourite elements of writing/to write about? I like writing about everyday emotions that anyone can relate to. I like turning the mundane into meaningful moments and metaphors that feel spiritual. Do you have any goals with your writing, moving forward? I want to write as a full-time career instead of a side hobby I delve into whenever inspiration hits. Do you have any advice/words of wisdom/things-you-wish-you-knew-earlier that you would tell other writers? I wish I knew earlier that writing does not require a degree. It sounds cliche but whatever you need to write is already within you, so all you really need to do is keep writing. A big thank you to Nida for agreeing to this interview! We hope it has wonderful impact, but the best way for us to know is to hear from you, dear readers. Drop us a comment; we'd love to hear your thoughts.
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