Carol Spencer’s interview with Wael Almahdi for Gulf Weekly highlights the importance of human connection in literature.
The interview plus five-star review discusses Wael’s Mashriqi English style, which involves including Perso-Arabic words and symbolism in English poetry.
His poetry in A Breeze from the East, released October 2025, is a full collection of Mashriqi English. A comprehensive introduction also guides the reader on how they might use this style for themselves.
As quoted in Spencer’s interview, Wael says of his book, “This is a proof of concept. I’ve tried to show that it can be done. You can stick to English but you can also use Arabic, Persian and Turkish influences.”
And what a beautiful proof of concept it is.
Find this book on our website’s Main Collection page and at the link in the section below.
♦ Connected Reading ♦
A Breeze from the East: Poems in Mashriqi English
by Wael Almahdi
The Conference of the Birds
Translated by Afkham Darbandi & Dick Davis
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