Poetry shall take us through 😇

The past 10 days have been a bit of a whirlwind. 😅 The good kind of whirlwind. I'm still reeling in from the adrenaline and excitement. I am so grateful to be able to do what I love in this city that I love. Congrats to @emirateslitfest, @elfdubai and @dubaiculture for a successful and fanstastic festival and absolute gratitude for giving literature, both its writers and readers, a space for the written (and spoken) word to be shared, amplified, and celebrated. Thank you especially to @ahlambolooki and the whole litfest team for all their work and support. And to all the writers, poets, and artists--those that I've been friends with for a while now, and those that I've just recently met and whose work I got to experience: I am so happy that I live in a world where you all exist.💖✨ ☀️ Here comes the sun, loves! Let's go and bask in the light. ☀️ #emirateslitfest https://www.instagram.com/p/CZ6b8lXLJYB/?utm_medium=tumblr

A cherished memory from when I was at the festival for my university, love being in the desert. #mcrwritingschool #manchestermet #manmetuni #emirateslitfest #emirates #emiratesliteraturefoundation (at Dubai, United Arab Emirates) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bvi3pDFAAP7/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=drdhx13y2dsy

I met @joe_hill & @gr_comics at the @emirateslitfest last weekend! They gave a very informative talk about collaboration and the creation of their comic series “Locke & Key.” At their signing they signed my copy of Vol 6: Alpha & Omega and I gave them copies of @smithvssmithcomics and my horror comics. We had a nice chat about writing for artists. They were really chill guys and it was very gracious of them to take a look at my books. . . . . #comic #comics #emirateslitfest #dubai #joehill #gabrielrodrihuez #lockeandkey #comicbook (at Dubai, United Arab Emirates)

All that is left for me to cherish from @emirateslitfest and I shall love it. 💜 #bookstagram #booktower #bookworm #emirateslitfest

Meeting HE Omar Saif Ghobash was the highlight of my day. 🙏 dare I say he is the coolest ambassador I have ever met. He was so humble and funny and I can't wait to start reading his book "Letter To A Young Muslim". #emirateslitfest #omarsaifghobash #letterstoayoungmuslim #books #book #bookstagram

Today I fell in love with the soul of Kevin Crossley-Holland. He is an English translator, children's author and a poet. In this picture he was showing me his latest, yet to be release, book about Morse Myths, and I was swoon by everything I saw in it. Plus he actually knew JRR Tolkien so that's the closest this hobbit will ever get to the shire. Kevin was so interested in our names, dialect & culture that he kept calling us back to his table to tell us more about stories. So far meeting him and listening to @imanbenchaibah moderate his session about Myths & Myth-conceptions with another amazing author Dr. Nimr was one of the best talks I heard at #emirateslitfest this year. 💜 Thanks @shahdthani for snapping this candid 😂 I was intensely amazed by that book.