Nikolina Hua’s Echo IV: Free Nations in C Minor is a richly allusive and labyrinthine poem that navigates the psychological depths of a mind deeply attuned to the inner soul and wider society. Its verses move like whispered confessions, cloaked in clever ambiguity and metaphors.
At first glance, the poem seems abstract—perhaps deliberately so. But beneath its surface lies a disquieting echo of societal upheaval, rendered not through direct reference, but via dreamlike symbolism. The lines ‘hair tangles with phosphorus’ and ‘cherry trees beneath imperial drones’ hint of gentle vulnerability in the midst of wider violence, although inflicted by whom, it is deliberately obscure and therefore readers can universally sympathize with the emotions evoked.
The musical motifs are particularly evocative to me as a composer, the term ‘C Minor’ harmonizes with the tension ubiquitous across the entire poem. The work is also terse, the stanzas are short and each line pauses frequently, almost in doubt. Apart from sounds, the poem is also deeply colourful in its imagery, such as ‘black ribbons freeze on unnamed streets’, or ‘fists gripping blue’, each colour a metaphor, yet of what?
The influence from Russian literature can be sensed from the psychological undercurrents: an obsession with guilt, a longing for seeking meaning onto a world that resists coherence. These themes are Dostoyevskian in texture—one can almost feel the spectral presence of Notes from Underground in the speaker’s intellectual and affective isolation. Yet, despite the linguistic artistry being of specific provenance, its message speaks universally to the human condition.
The choice for obscurity instead of clarity is in itself a strength. By being a cryptic mirror, it invites the readers to find their own struggles within the poem’s ambiguous torment. By being obscure, Echo IV: Free Nations in C Minor ends up revealing so much more about ourselves.
Full poem can be found here
FREE NATIONS IN C MINOR
Orcs gnawed the capital’s door,
cherry trees scream beneath imperial drones.
Existence is a slit throat.
Hair tangles with phosphorus,
ghost hymns ride through occupied smoke.
Speech chokes on its own tongue.
Black ribbons freeze on unnamed streets.
Bones in gloves, fists gripping blue,
nails scrape through basement rust.
Hands remember what mouths can’t speak.
A million fingers pull the tyrant down.
This is how I claw myself free:
Change this. Change that. Never turn back
or the money drags you down
ankle-first into wolves’ den.
Beating grief against their ribs,
free nations sing in C minor.
The dark sea holds its breath.
Ng Yu Hng is an award-winning composer whose works explore musical time, liturgy, and intertextual dialogue. He holds a Master’s from the Royal Academy of Music (Countess of Munster scholar) and a King’s College London alum, winning the Purcell Prize. His music has been performed across 15 countries and published internationally, with commissions from ensembles worldwide.
1. Please share your thoughts about the future of literature. Also, when did you start writing?
Actually, I’ve started writing since 2014 during the Israeli aggression on Gaza City. What inspired me to write poetry is the necessity to raise awareness about the Palestinian cause and convey a message to the Western world that Palestinians have been suffering since 1948 and we are looking for justice and peace.
2. The Good and the Bad. Which is winning nowadays?
I do believe that those who seek love and peace will win in this life because those who seek war will destroy themselves. Peace will make the world a beautiful place full of light and mercy whereas war will make it a horrible and dark place none can endure to live. Throughout my literary journey I’ve passed many good things and people who’ve me feel like I’m not alone in this world by showing their sympathy and support. I’m as a poet, I write poetry about how war affects us as humans and destroy anything beautiful. I write about the suffering of my people for years and how my people starve severely. I wish I could write about the beauty of my country Palestine and share poems of love and peace.
3. How many books have you written and where can we find your books?
I’ve self-published four books. Three are poetry books and the fourth is a short novel. The first book I published was ” Gaza Narrates Poetry”, the second ” When Hope Isn’t Enough”, the third ” Stolen Lives,” and the last was “Falastin”. I’ve recently published a poetry book with the great poet John P. Portelli called “The Shadow”.
Most of my books are available on Amazon.
4. The book. Do you prefer e-books or hardcover books?
What will be the future?
I’m looking forward to publishing a new book. The title will be “The Genocide.” It will contain more than 40 poems that I wrote during the ongoing genocide on Gaza City and the horrible experiences I witnessed.
5. A wish for 2025
I wish and only wish that Palestinians who have been suffering for ages restore our legal and humane rights and that peace prevails in this world.
A phrase from your book
“My loyal Cactus, Your thorns are more delicate than the hypocrisy of Humanity”.
” I’m still alive but nothing has remained”
Eva Petropoulou Lianou, Greek author and poet.
Ahmed Miqdad is a Palestinian poet and activist, awarded the 2025 Naji Namaan Literary Award.
Ahmed Miqdad (b. 1985) is a Palestinian poet resident of Gaza. He has a B.A. in English and a Master in Education. Ahmed is the author of three collections of poetry (Gaza Narrates Poetry (2014), Stolen Lives (2015) and When Hope Is not Enough (2019)) and a novel Falastin: The Hope of Tomorrow (2018). The latest poetry collection is The Shadow: Poems for the Children of Gaza. He has witnessed over three wars and severe aggression by Israeli forces on the Palestinian people since the 1980s with a huge loss of life. He writes and publishes to raise consciousness about the Palestinian cause.
The festival, one of the main events of the international art market, presents works of modern and contemporary art in over 280 leading galleries proven in the world.
The summer sun illuminates the beautiful landscapes of Switzerland.
While I was walking through these landscapes with pleasure, I was thinking about how long our journey to Basel would take us.
What passages, from beauty to beauty, from Lugano to Luzerno.
Indeed, it seems to me, as they say, a beautiful dream with open eyes.
How beautifully the hand of man has worked together with the generosity of nature and in this way, in this place, they have built a true paradise.
My thought goes far.
Being amazed by these beauties, which impress me and that with my words I cannot describe them properly.
And what an opportunity and art exists, for every person and every nation, if this valuable experience in the transformation of the environment which resembles heaven on earth, here in Switzerland. That they can use it, and that everyone can practice it in their own place, in the care and protection of nature and at the same time for the benefit of their health.
Arrival in Basel
After a five-hour journey,
we arrive in Basel.
And here is the Rhine River, not only offering us amazing beauty but a memory and journey with the old European history.
In the beautiful and ancient Basel.
An indescribable pleasure for this place,.
And not only for its beauties, but also for the fact that Basel welcomes us with open arms and envelops us with the warmth of the most beautiful and important activities not only for Switzerland but also for the whole of Europe.
Before us lies majestic and all dressed in red, the square in front of the building, where the song festival – Eurovision 2025 took place
The square in front of the Basel fair is in fact the most magnificent platform that can be offered to art at Art Basel.
And who can use it better than the internationally renowned painter, who has repeatedly freed herself from the limitations of the classical canvas to claim entire spaces as a canvas for her colorful excesses?
Now Katharina Grosse has transformed the fairground into a large painting.
In doing so, she included the entire square, including the fountain and the surrounding architecture, in her work.
The German painter has long been considered a star.
And she is practically destined for this great commission, which is given to an artist every year for the days of the Art Basel fair.
The Swiss press writes about her and her fame has already spread throughout Europe and the whole world.
Switzerland is ahead in all arts.
It constantly organizes exhibitions to help talents, in supporting and encouraging them as well as displaying the products of the hands of the youngest, the oldest and the most famous artists.
Truly a model to be taken as an example by all European countries and why not the world.
An excellent job in giving the right value to those works that really have value.
The first day
Crowds of people flowed like a river in front of the festival building.
Others climbed the stairs to the palace of culture, where the exhibition titled Arte-Basel had opened.
An exhibition service employee greeted us in Italian and with her warmth and talented hospitality, offered us all the necessary information about ARTE-BASEL 2025.
Second day in Basel
Already amazed by the exhibited works.
We move from one pavilion to another. We take photos.
Thousands of square meters have been made available for the exhibition of works by great artists, as well as ample space for the many visitors.
A special commitment and interest from the employees of the municipality of Basel.
They follow every activity, every detail of this exhibition, in help and support of the exhibition employees as well as the artists themselves.
Everything in order and with correctness.
“We like this,” said one of the employees, because with the same dedication these beautiful works of art were created, which are exhibited in all the exhibition pavilions.
Values should be protected only with values.
Works that amaze with their beauty and the messages they carry for the culture and life of people everywhere in the world.
We will see and hear each other in the other visits made by our side, in the following days, in these artistic activities, developed in Switzerland and their importance and values for Europe and the World.
Embroidery is one of the oldest and most traditional crafts in Uzbekistan. For centuries, the people of Nurota, Shahrisabz, Fergana, Tashkent, Samarkand, and Bukhara have practiced this art. When stitching techniques, threads, fabrics, and patterns are harmonized, they create a beautiful result. Embroidery features a wide variety of stitches, colors, patterns, and fabrics. Bright colors are often used to make the designs more attractive.
Silk thread – the most delicate and glossy (often used for suzani). Wool thread – warmer, used for robes (chopon) and pillows. Cotton thread – cheaper and available in many colors. Silk is preferred because its shine lasts long and gives elegance to the design.
Fabrics for embroidery Mainly strong and smooth fabrics are chosen: adras, coarse cotton, silk, and others.
Meanings of patterns Pomegranate – blessing, abundance Almond – happiness, fertility Pepper – protection from the evil eye
Meanings of colors Red – life, love Green – nature Blue – sky, loyalty White – purity
Embroidery is 100% handmade (stitched with a needle or a hooked tool).
According to ancient traditions, Uzbek girls – future brides – prepared various embroidered items for their dowry: handkerchiefs, curtains, belts, bags, vests (nimcha), bedsheets, suzani, clothing decorations, headwear, and other gifts. At the wedding, the bride presented the items she had made to the groom’s relatives. Before the wedding, the dowry was displayed as an exhibition to demonstrate the bride’s skill and diligence. The finer and more beautiful the embroidery, the more highly it was valued. Girls were taught embroidery from a very young age and, after three to four years, began embroidering independently.
Today, one of the most popular garments is the suzani robe (chopon), which combines tradition and modernity and appeals to everyone. Iroqi stitching is mainly found on girls’ skullcaps (doʻppi). On Uzbekistan’s national holiday Navruz, people wear iroqi skullcaps, khan-atlas, adras, and suzani robes.
Globalization and National Identity: The Choice of the New Generation
In the modern world, the word globalization is no longer an abstract concept. It is the reality in which we live, study, and dream about our future. Borders between nations are gradually becoming symbolic, communication technologies connect people from different continents in a matter of seconds, and cultures are interacting faster than ever before. For today’s youth, globalization offers a wide field of opportunities: access to education abroad, cooperation in science and business, cultural exchange, and broader horizons for personal development.
Yet, behind these opportunities lies a serious question: what will happen to our national identity? When global trends dominate social life, there is a danger that unique traditions, languages, and customs may lose their value in the eyes of the younger generation. A young person may easily adopt international fashion, foreign languages, and global lifestyles, while sometimes forgetting the songs, proverbs, or traditions that shaped their own nation’s spirit for centuries. This creates a paradox of the 21st century: while the world is becoming closer, it risks becoming more uniform and less diverse.
However, globalization does not have to be the enemy of national identity. Instead, it can be an opportunity to present one’s culture on the international stage. Youth who learn to speak foreign languages, master modern technologies, and travel the world can also become ambassadors of their traditions. They can introduce their national literature, music, and art to foreign audiences. In this way, globalization becomes not the loss, but the expansion of national identity.
The new generation has the ability to integrate into the global society while keeping the roots of their homeland strong and alive. The choice, therefore, lies in the hands of young people. Do they want to become passive consumers of foreign culture, or active protectors and promoters of their own? Will they let globalization wash away their uniqueness, or will they use it as a bridge to tell the world who they are? This is not just a personal choice; it is a historical responsibility.
In conclusion, globalization is not a force to resist, but a process to manage wisely. The new generation must build a balance: to accept global values like cooperation, innovation, and tolerance, while at the same time preserving the priceless wealth of national identity. Only then can they ensure that the future world is not a monotonous place, but a colorful mosaic of cultures, where every nation’s voice is heard and respected.
Dildora Khujyazova (born in 2005) is from Khorezm region, Uzbekistan. She is currently studying Geography at Urgench State University. Dildora is passionate about writing, journalism, and research, and she has authored several scientific articles. She actively promotes honesty, cultural dialogue, and youth engagement in her community. Her aspiration is to study abroad and represent her country through both academic and creative achievements on the international stage.
