By Serin Sarsour
Outside of her studies at Brooklyn College, sophomore Zahraa Fares uses poetry as an outlet. Using her literary voice, Fares delves into her identity and different human experiences through a medium she’s used since eight grade.
“What sparked my interest in poetry I think is the arts and how I first got bullied, but then it helped me a lot like find my voice,” Fares said.
As an Arab and someone who wears the hijab, Fares believes it is her duty to raise awareness for issues in the Middle East and discrimination against Muslims and Arabs through her poetry. She also discusses mental health and the importance of openly speaking about it in her poems, along with touching on the genres of fantasy and romance.
“My favorite piece that I have written is called ‘Paper Hearts,’” said Fares. “It is about how humans are like paper. Like when we are first born, we are perfect and not a lot is going on, but then as we get older, the paper gets more wrinkled. And people may not like it as much, but it is still beautiful in its own way when it shows all the flaws, too.”
Another one of Fares’ poems called “At the Mosque” was published in BC’s Creative and Literary Magazine: Spring 2022 Poetry Edition by the Stuck in the Library club. Additionally, a few of her other poems were published in the second edition of a book called “Poetic Justice: An Anthology Of Poems by Muslims.” The book was presented by The Strangers Poets Inc., a nonprofit organization with a mission to help Muslim visionaries find and magnify their voices by providing a platform dedicated to them.
When she’s not writing poetry, Fares is working on obtaining a degree in philosophy. Her parents immigrated to the United States from Lebanon and have sacrificed to provide Fares and her siblings with opportunities that they were unable to receive, so Fares knows a thing or two about working hard.
“I love Brooklyn College because of its campus and environment. I love the community there too, especially the Arab and Muslim community because I feel more at home and like I belong,” Fares said.
Outside of school and poem writing, Fares is an Americorps member at the Arab American Association of New York with NYU Langone Health in which the association sponsors her. AAANY is a nonprofit organization that provides the Arab community with various services, such as immigration support, public advocacy, and social services. Fares has a history of volunteering at the association.
As Fares continues searching for what she wants to do in the future as a career, she’s sure of wanting to pursue writing nonetheless. “I want to publish books in the future inshallah [the Arabic word for ‘God willing’], romance novels, poetry books, and children’s books,” said Fares.
She added that she has always wanted to be a teacher ever since she was in elementary school. Fares is still unsure which grade she would want to teach at the moment, but she thinks becoming an English teacher would suit her well.
Through her Instagram page, Fares shows people that writing is another way you can use your voice. She also displays her photography, another one of Fares’ hobbies and passions.
“My favorite thing about writing poetry is that it’s like my voice. And it shows like there are more ways of speaking than just like verbally speaking and you could let out your voice in other ways, too,” Fares said.