It’s not every time you meet somebody who is so in love with words and is not ashamed to say it. Today’s guest on our #WrtierSpotlight is one. We love how simple yet profound her answers are and we hope you can learn a thing or two from her.
Hello Kareemat, please introduce yourself and tell us what you do
My name is Abdelkareem Kareemat and I am a poet
You have an interesting relationship with words kindly tell us how it started.
I haven’t always been an extrovert. When I was younger, I was quite the loner and I usually read books for company. So when I wanted to express my feelings, I found I could do that well with poetry. So I’ve been writing forever
You won the @africanwriters 14 word story challenge with your beautiful entry, how long did it take to write that and how many times did you have to revise it?
That particular entry wasn’t revised at all. It just popped into my head after I’d put in about two other entries so I decided to add it at the last minute.
Where do you get inspiration from when you want to writea story
Everything inspires me when I want to write. I like to think that my thoughts come in lines and stanzas so it’s easy to put them down. I am not much of an author. As much as I like to write prose, I prefer the uniqueness of poetry in its brevity and and mysteriousness.
What’s your ultimate writing goal?
My ultimate goal as a writer is to get successfully published and have my literary work captivate, connect and enrich the minds of my readers. It is to let people know without doubt that poetry transcends rhyme schemes and offers a lot more.
Who is your favorite poet and why?
I honestly do not have a favorite poet. Different writing styles appeal to me, depending on the theme, the setting, etc. However, I have an ever-growing affinity for poems that are inspired by strong cultural roots. This is because our culture is who we are. When we stop talking about it, when we stop letting it to inspire us, then we become lost in time. Untraceable.
Do you have plans to take your writing to the next level, maybe by writing a book or performing your poems
Yes! As a matter of fact, there is an ongoing effort to publish a joint anthology with another poet. It’s titled Temples, Tales and Tempests and it’s going to have an exciting mix of themes. I have considered performing my poems and I will when an opportunity presents itself.
Do you have a platform (personal blog or another person’s blog) where you publish your stories or poems?
No. For now, I just write and keep them. However, in the the near future, there would be a platform where readers can check out my poems and make suggestions.
Aside from writing, what are your other hobbies?
I am bookworm. Books are my constant companions; I read a lot of genres but I’m a die-hard romantic! I love traveling. Someday, I’d like to travel the world all over. I love watching and acting in stage plays, I love photography and I’m an active phonographer (phone photographer), I also enjoy going to arts museums because art is life! I like to watch movies too. They are relaxing.
Some write for fame, others for money why does Kareemat write?
I write to express myself. My poems are who I am, my experiences and my own perceptions of phenomenons.
What’s your advice to someone who doesn’t believe so much in the power of his words?
Believe it or not – words are magic! If you don’t believe in your words, you don’t believe in yourself. But when there is an assurance within you about yourself, your words and everything you speak will be golden. Go paint the world rainbow with your words!
