The legendary Palestinian poet and author Mourid Barghouti shed light on his writing process during his In Conversation session on Wednesday night. Below are some highlights.
On the life of a poet
Some people think that poetry comes along when a person enjoys life, are in the beach, the jungle, in ecstasy or in a comfortable place. No, this is an illusion, a distraction. In reality, poetry is to be exact and attentive. It is to see everything the naked eye can see and to feel everything with your nerve endings. Poets can't say "this has slipped my mind." I remember I saw this wink from a woman at a wedding when I was a child. I wrote a poem about that moment 25 years later.
On writing
The real pleasure of being a writer is the writing itself. The accolades, the translations are not not equal to that first draft I work on. The process of writing is a pleasure because that is when I feel useful. But the poet's critic is also his friend. He is with him side by side, when the poet writes line by line, by pen or eraser. I am very hard on myself, that is why I am not very prolific.
The Emirates Airline Festival of Literature is on until Saturday at the InterContinental Hotel Dubai, Festival City. For all event details, go to www.emirateslitfest.com
