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Nimah Ismail Nawwab

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Nimah Ismail Nawwab
نعمة إسماعيل نواب
Born
Malaysia
NationalitySaudi Arabian
Occupation(s)Poet, photographer, activist
Notable workThe Unfurling, Canvas of the Soul

Nimah Ismail Nawwab is a Saudi Arabian poet, activist, photographer and writer.[1]

Biography

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Nimah Ismail Nawwab was born in Malaysia and is of Saudi Arabian descent. She comes from a line of Meccan scholars. [2] Her father is Ismail I. Nawwab, a former professor of linguistics at the University of Edinburgh.[3][4] Nawwab grew up speaking three languages and her father read the Quran, Arabic poetry, and the plays of William Shakespeare to her.[4] She previously worked at Aramco.[3]

She was inspired to write poetry after meeting Naomi Shihab Nye. Her first internationally published poem was on the murder of Palestinian child Muhammad al-Durrah.[5] Her earliest poetry focused on issues in Palestine and Iraq.[4] Nawwab writes in English and her poetry discusses youth issues, women's issues, sexism, religion, and Saudi culture and society.[6][7][4]

Her second book Canvas of the Soul: Mystic Poems from the Heartland of Arabia, is inspired by Sufism and features spiritual themes.[8][4] Her work has also been featured in Gathering the Tide: An Anthology of Contemporary Arabian Gulf Poetry.[9]

Her photography has been featured in Aramco World and Theodore Friend's book Woman, Man, and God in Modern Islam.[10] Nawwab is the first Saudi woman poet to be published in the United States.[2][6] She is also the first Saudi poet to publicly sign their work.[11][10]

Works

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Books

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  • The Unfurling (2004, Selwa Press)
  • Canvas of the Soul: Mystic Poems from the Heartland of Arabia (2012, Tughra Books)[12]

Selections

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  • Gathering the Tide: An Anthology of Contemporary Arabian Gulf Poetry (Ithaca Press, 2011)[9]

References

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  1. ^ "Nimah Ismail Nawwab, Blackbird". blackbird.vcu.edu. Retrieved 2022-10-15.
  2. ^ a b "UniVerse: A United Nations of Poetry: Nimah Ismail Nawwab". www.universeofpoetry.org. Retrieved 2022-10-15.
  3. ^ a b Lippman, Thomas W. (2012). Saudi Arabia on the Edge: The Uncertain Future of an American Ally. Potomac Books, Inc. ISBN 978-1-59797-688-6.
  4. ^ a b c d e الفلو, أبوظبي: معتصم (2014-03-22). "شاعرة سعودية تطلق "صرخة سلام"". Watanksa (in Arabic). Retrieved 2022-11-04.
  5. ^ "One Poet's Story, Nimah Ismail Nawwab". blackbird.vcu.edu. Retrieved 2022-11-04.
  6. ^ a b "Nimah Nawwab Biography". famouspoetsandpoems.com. Retrieved 2022-10-15.
  7. ^ "Metroactive News & Issues | Nimah Ismail Nawwab". www.metrosiliconvalley.com. Retrieved 2022-10-15.
  8. ^ Admin, Rumi (2012-05-22). ""Canvas of the Soul: Mystic Poems from the Heartland of Arabia", by Nimah Ismail Nawwab". Rumi Forum. Retrieved 2022-10-15.
  9. ^ a b Paine, Patty; Lodge, Jeff; Touati, Samia (2011). Gathering the Tide: An Anthology of Contemporary Arabian Gulf Poetry. Apollo Books. ISBN 978-0-86372-374-2.
  10. ^ a b "Ms. Ni'mah Isma'il Nawwab – The Poetic Heart". Retrieved 2022-10-15.
  11. ^ "نعمة نواب: بعد 10 سنوات لن تكون هناك شخصية سعودية نمطية". العربية (in Arabic). 2005-01-05. Retrieved 2022-10-15.
  12. ^ Reviews:
    • Crosby, Kelly (2013). "Canvas of the Soul: Mystic Poems from the Heartland of Arabia". Azizah. 7 (3): 26.