Ramona Depares interviews writer Shahd Alshammari about feminism in literature and how growing up in Kuwait shaped her approach to writing.

You are considered as a feminist poet – what is feminism, for you?

Feminism is intersectional for me. It takes into account very specific experiences of being a woman. It requires constant re­flection on whether there is injustice taking place, whether in the private or public domain.

The accusation that feminism is no longer relevant in a 21st century world is often levelled at women. What are your replies to these kind of statements?

Feminism is still needed. Not everywhere in the world is the same. People who think feminism isn’t relevant are speaking from a privileged position.

Your first book of poetry, On Love and Loss, deals with two very intense topics. How much of it is personal experience?

The personal for me is not just my own experiences of love and loss. It is a mesh of the experiences of others too. There is a universality in these two themes, love and loss. Who hasn’t loved and lost?

Academically, your focus is romanticism, Victorian and 20th century literature – do you believe there’s still space for appreciating this literature in today’s fast-paced world? And has this specialisation shaped or informed your own writing in any way?

My focus is always on narrative. I believe we can still appreciate classics because they re­main universal. I think Victorian literature exposes themes of domesticity, private and public domains, and I am always interested in how we manage our different selves in different environments.

How do you reconcile Victorian literature with feminist ideals?

Victorian literature played around with the idea of feminine ideals. It’s important to look at how literature represented (and misrepresented) women throughout literature worldwide. We need to think about how far we have really come.

My experiences have been the basis for the exploration of disability and pain

Your book of short stories, Notes on the Flesh, also deals with love, from the perspective of women in the Middle East. What are your memories as a young woman growing up in Kuwait?

In the same way that any young person has memories growing up in the world. Young women have universal experiences everywhere. I learned a lot from people, school, struggled with a bilingual culture, and of course, illness at a young age. My experiences were typical of getting used to adulthood and navigating one’s body and identity.

How did your experiences shape your adulthood and your writing?

My experiences have been the basis for the exploration of disability and pain. My experience with disability has made me understand life, death and loss, and while very painful, they have made me who I am today. I write from where the wounds are.

Your works tend to fall in the category of high literature. In your experience, is there still an appreciation for the beauty of words?

This might be a biased belief, but yes. Good literature still resonates with people. People still look for the power of words to heal.

As can be seen both from your literary and your academic works, you have a strong interest in disabilities and illness in women, with a strong focus on mental illness. How did this interest come about?

Perhaps this is due to my own experience with disability (phy­si­cal). I began understanding how society is ableist and rejects difference. I later explored the idea of madness in literature to trace ableism and patriarchy throughout.

How did your Malta connection come about?

I was lucky enough to send my manuscript to Faraxa Publishing and it was received very well. They were open to experimenting with different writers and I feel blessed to have worked with them.

How familiar are you with the literary scene here? Any authors you feel an affinity with?

I am fascinated with Simone Inguanez’s poetry. Her style is very unique and raw. However, I look forward to getting to know the literary scene more this year.

What should we expect from your participation at this year’s Malta Book Festival?

I will be giving a reading and I will also discuss the importance of situating disability and gender in different societies, from a literary perspective.

The Malta Book Festival takes place between Wednesday and next Sunday at the Mediterranean Conference Centre, Valletta. Full programme is available online.

www.ktieb.org.mt

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