The West End Poetry Festival had the wonderful opportunity to interview Fatima Abdullah, one of the featured poets who will be sharing her work on October 20th, 2018. Here is a questionnaire answered by Abdullah. This will allow you to get to know her a little before the festival, enjoy!
What makes you excited to present your work in this year’s West End Poetry Festival?
“I am excited about connecting with others who have similar experiences and interests. I have always wanted to be part of a creative and dynamic project and the West End Poetry Festival has presented me with this opportunity. Presenting my poetry will also be a huge push towards developing my poetry further and getting out of the comfort zone of my notebook.”
What does intersectionality mean to you?
“Intersectionality means that I can share my experiences as a whole human being instead of being a token of my culture or gender. I am more than just an Arab, Muslim, or Latino, or woman etc., I am the summation of all of these experiences and more, and fundamentally, I am a person who values connecting with others and practicing and receiving compassion. Intersectionality describes the process of reconciling the diversity of my background in order to empathize with myself and others.”
What made you start writing poetry?
“I started writing poetry in order to try and make sense of my thoughts. When I finally figured out how to shape the words I was using, writing poetry became a liberating and empowering process that allowed me to be the narrator of my own life instead of being a mere observer.”
