Poetry Academy releases Asmaa Hamadi debut collection

The Abu Dhabi Committee for Festivals, and Cultural and Heritage Programmes' Poetry Academy has released Fi wajh al-rih (Facing the Wind), the debut book of poetry by promising Emirati poet Asmaa al-Hamadi. The collection offers 39 poems in a variety of styles and forms, ranging from the strictly traditional split-verse to free poetry. Alongside the titular poem, Facing the Wind also includes "Samaha Allahul sarab" ("God Forgive the Mirage"), "Ala hina kibriaa" ("When Proud"), "Ila nissfil tareeq" ("Till Halfway down the Road") and "Taraneemul sighari itha kabaro" ("The Grown Children's Hymns"). Hamadi's poetry displays a profoundly classical bent which are present even in modern-form pieces. The collection is infused with romance and intensity which can be found even in Hamadi's lament for the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.