Riyadh hosted a distinguished cultural evening dedicated to Manseerah, the ambitious global poetic anthology that seeks to narrate the human story of the 21st century through a collective lyrical voice. The event was held upon the gracious invitation of Nawa Cultural Club in Riyadh, in cooperation with The Literary Partner and Wahj Al-Lawn Gallery, and under the supervision of the Saudi Ministry of Culture and the Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission.
The evening brought together poets, critics, academics, and cultural figures to discuss and explore Manseerah, a monumental poetic project edited by Emirati poet Adel Khozam, and published in 2024 by Dar Al-Takween (Syria). The anthology features poetic contributions from 86 poets from around the world, woven into a unified, multi-chapter poetic structure that reflects the complexities, anxieties, hopes, and ethical questions of contemporary humanity.
The evening brought together poets, critics, academics, and cultural figures to discuss and explore Manseerah, a monumental poetic project edited by Emirati poet Adel Khozam, and published in 2024 by Dar Al-Takween (Syria). The anthology features poetic contributions from 86 poets from around the world, woven into a unified, multi-chapter poetic structure that reflects the complexities, anxieties, hopes, and ethical questions of contemporary humanity.The editor of the anthology, Adel Khozam, was the main guest of the evening and spoke extensively about the long creative journey behind shaping the book. He highlighted the intellectual and artistic challenges of collecting texts from diverse cultures and languages, translating them, and reworking them into a coherent poetic architecture that reads not as a mere collection, but as a single extended epic poem narrating the life of modern humanity.
The discussion was enriched by the participation of Dr. Fawzia Abu Khalid, the pioneering Saudi poet and academic widely regarded as a founding figure of prose poetry in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf. She offered a methodological and critical reading of Manseerah, emphasizing its importance as a rare experiment in collective poetic authorship. Dr. Abu Khalid also read selected excerpts from the anthology, including her own contribution, as well as texts by Saudi writer Saad Al-Dosari and other poets featured in the book.
Due to health conditions, Saudi short story writer and novelist Saad Al-Dosari joined the event via video link. In his intervention, he reflected on the early roots of the project, tracing its conceptual lineage back to the 2017 collaborative writing experiment he undertook with Adel Khozam and Bahraini poet Qassim Haddad. That earlier collaboration resulted in the book Rafif Al-Zill (Dar Madarek), a project that received strong support from cultural figure Turki Al-Dakhil and was previously published as a weekly cultural column in Asharq Al-Awsat during the editorship of Salman Al-Dosari.
The evening was expertly moderated by Dr. Amal Al-Tamimi, Director of Nawa Cultural Club, who guided a rich and dynamic discussion marked by thoughtful interventions and critical insights. Contributions came from a distinguished group of academics and cultural figures, including Dr. Saad Al-Bazai, Dr. Hatoon Al-Fassi, Dr. Fawzia Al-Bakr, Dr. Hiam Abdelhamid—who supervised the Arabic translation of the anthology—alongside Asmaa Al-Khamees, Abdullah Wafiya, Sarah Al-Rushaidan, Dr. Souad Al-Manea, veteran TV presenter Jibril Abu Diab, and others.
Among the notable critical moments of the evening was a discussion on the concept of “globality” in literature, addressed by Dr. Saad Al-Bazai. Meanwhile, Dr. Hatoon Al-Fassi raised an important linguistic and conceptual critique of the anthology’s title, which combines the English word Man with the Arabic Seerah. She argued that the title could be interpreted as gender-biased. The editor welcomed the critique openly and announced plans to revise the title in forthcoming English and Chinese editions.
The event concluded on an optimistic and forward-looking note. Adel Khozam expressed his deep appreciation for the high-level academic and literary engagement, and shared his hope that Dr. Fawzia Abu Khalid might one day lead a future project for a Saudi poetic epic, written collectively by poets from the Kingdom. He also envisioned Manseerah as a catalyst for further collaborative literary experiments addressing universal human and national themes across cultures and continents.
The Manseerah evening in Riyadh stood as a testament to poetry’s enduring power to cross borders, build dialogue, and reimagine the shared narrative of humanity in an increasingly complex world
