The Culture and Arts Chapter of the Qatar University (QU) Alumni Association, in collaboration with the Department of Arabic Language and Literature at the College of Arts and Sciences, hosted the Annual Poetry Gathering 2024. The event brought together literature and poetry enthusiasts for a special poetry session featuring a distinguished group of poets from the department's faculty.
The gathering showcased the talents of esteemed academic poets, including Dr. Abdelsalam Hamed, Dr. Mahrous Barak, and Dr. Mahmoud Kaheel. Dr. Zainab Al-Mahmood, who offered the audience a rich poetic experience, moderated the session. Participants presented a diverse array of new poems and literary works, creating a captivating cultural atmosphere.
The gathering witnessed a large turnout of students, faculty members, and literature enthusiasts. It highlighted the role of poetry and literature in enriching culture and arts and served as a platform for academic and public cultural exchange.
On this occasion, Ms. Amina Abdul Karim, Vice President of the Culture and Arts chapter at the QU Alumni Association, stated, “At the Culture and Arts chapter of the QU Alumni, we strive to host this annual poetry gathering, which has become a literary tradition. It allows the public to explore the latest works of the university's poets and serves as a bridge connecting literary culture with eloquent expression. Just as the alumni association acts as a bridge between the university and its graduates, we are committed to events like this, which foster fruitful collaboration with various colleges at QU."
Dr. Zainab Al-Mahmood, Assistant Professor of Arabic Language at Qatar University, addressed the audience, saying, “Today, we meet with a profound sense of unity and eloquence, sharing heartfelt expressions and insightful reflections with my fellow poets. Poetry is a refined human art through which individuals convey their emotions, thoughts, experiences, and life lessons, both sweet and bitter. Arabs, both pre- and post-Islam, held poetry in high regard—it could elevate the status of a tribe or diminish it. In Islam, poetry became a tool to defend the faith. As it has been said, poetry is the art of blending enjoyment with truth, encapsulating majesty and beauty in its concise, imaginative form."