1.Tell us about yourself
How have I started to write poetry?
I started writing at the age of 52. I was influenced and inspired by my poets and journalists’ friends.
We had a cultural forum back then in 2012 and there we would gather around every day at eight o’clock in the evening to listen to our friends recite their writings of poems, literature essays and short stories and after the reading is all finished another session would start to discuss and critics their poetry works, all that had a great positive impact on me to write poetry, short stories and to be involved in other literary works.
2. What is the message you want to give through your poems?
As a poet I want to communicate various messages, from expressing personal emotions and life experiences to exploring universal aspects of nature, beauty, hope, peace, love, harmony and social justice and to convey a profound message about life and human values. I want to emphasize the importance of kindness, empathy, and living with honesty and integrity.
Plus, I want to encourage the readers to appreciate the beauty around them and to remain hopeful and positive even in difficult times.
3. Do you believe that the new generation is reading and caring about literature?
Young people may not always read long novels or traditional sonnet poetry, but yes, they do read and care about literature in shorter format such as e-books on their “smart” devices and from seeing them participating and mingling in different social media online and from the number of people I learn of annually who do attend books fairs and buy books.
4. How do you feel when you see your poems published in several foreign sites?
In my own thoughts and perspectives, poetry is an expression of the incomparable meditation and contemplation of the human minds.
Seeing my poems published on foreign websites gives me a combination of feelings of broader reach, validations and significant connections with wider international audiences, making my voice heard by different people of different cultures and nations and successful transmission of my poetry and literature works beyond borders.
5. Do you want to share with our readers a phrase that changed your life?
Yes, definitely, I do, here it is: “Today is the opportunity to build the tomorrow you want”
6. What is your next project?
Well, I am happy to announce a book I have been working on with poet Kristy Raines from the USA, which will be published soon on Amazon, titled “Echoes Across the Oceans”. It is an anthology of some of our favorite poems.
NASSER ALSHAIKHAHMED, SAUDI POET AND WRITER, SAUDI ARABIA
Nasser Alshaikhahmed is a Saudi Arabian bilingual poet and writer. He writes poetry and short stories in Arabic and English. He attended college at Sonoma State University in California, USA. Although his field of study is far from literature, his soul is immersed in poetry and writing.
He is a member of:
1-All Poetry.com
2-Soul Asylum Poetry Radio. New York-USA
Poetry Anthologies.
1-Voracious Polyglots-USA
2-The Quilled Ink-South Africa
3- Wheel Song Poetry-UK
Online Magazines
1-Polis Magazino- Greece
2-ILA Magazine- USA
3- Grupo de trabajo de escritores Agentina
4-www.youtube.com/c/Uddan Television
Nasser Alshaikhahmed has translated pieces from English to Arabic for several poets from USA, Japan and Australia, and published his translations in local journals.
He has published a poetry book in Arabic,” “العرافة ara’fa”, in 2013 through Arabian House for Science. He has published an English poetry book titled “Whispered Vows”, August 2023 by publisher Jeanette Tiburcio Marquez through the Stockholm Project.
He came in second place at the Zheng Nian Cup China Literary Award in 2023. He was awarded on October 14, 2023, by the L.A. Seneca International Academic Literary Award, the Italian Academy of Philosophical Arts and Sciences, Bari-Italy. He participated in the international children’s literature forum in Dhaka, Bangladesh in December 2023. Participated in Oman international poetry and cultural festival, April 2024. Participated in an Indian international literary meeting forum in November 2024. Kolkata, West Bengal, India.