NADA FARIS
Writer * Teacher * Translator * Coach
Photo Credit: Areej Saleh
Born and raised in Kuwait, Nada began her literary journey writing structured verse influenced by her British education. After completing her B.A. in English Language and Literature at Kuwait University in 2006, she pursued graduate studies in Comparative Literature.
In 2010, she was introduced to slam poetry through Ayana Ashanti who hosted the first slam poetry contest in Kuwait at the inauguration of the Jamaican Embassy. Nada won her first competition and continued to score first-place victories between 2010 and 2016.
However, in 2013 she discovered her neurodivergence and thus shifted focus to page poetry, leading to her work Fountain of Youth, which became a semi-finalist in the 2016 Vine Leaves Vignette Collection Award. She also wrote Mischief Diary (HBKU, 2018), a collection of humorous short stories, and collaborated with Maha Al-Asaker on Women of Kuwait (Daylight, 2019), which was recognized as a Lucie Photobook Award finalist.
Nada received an Arab Woman Award in 2018 from Harper’s Bazaar Arabia for her impact on creatives in Kuwait.
In 2020, she received an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from Columbia University (New York, USA), specializing in poetry writing and literary translation, and she recently published Lost in Mecca (DarArab, 2024), an English translation of Bothayna Al-Essa's Arabic novel (خرائط التيه), which was shortlisted for Banipal’s Translation Award and named a Notable Translation in 2024 by "World Literature Today."
Furthermore, Nada is a member of the International Coaching Federation (ICF) Kuwait Chapter. She received her coaching certification from Coach Training Alliance (Colorado, USA) in September 2022. As a coach who works primarily with creatives, Nada offers tailored packages to graduate students, writers, and other artists who want to become professional in their chosen craft.
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In 2010, she was introduced to slam poetry through Ayana Ashanti who hosted the first slam poetry contest in Kuwait at the inauguration of the Jamaican Embassy. Nada won her first competition and continued to score first-place victories between 2010 and 2016.
However, in 2013 she discovered her neurodivergence and thus shifted focus to page poetry, leading to her work Fountain of Youth, which became a semi-finalist in the 2016 Vine Leaves Vignette Collection Award. She also wrote Mischief Diary (HBKU, 2018), a collection of humorous short stories, and collaborated with Maha Al-Asaker on Women of Kuwait (Daylight, 2019), which was recognized as a Lucie Photobook Award finalist.
Nada received an Arab Woman Award in 2018 from Harper’s Bazaar Arabia for her impact on creatives in Kuwait.
In 2020, she received an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from Columbia University (New York, USA), specializing in poetry writing and literary translation, and she recently published Lost in Mecca (DarArab, 2024), an English translation of Bothayna Al-Essa's Arabic novel (خرائط التيه), which was shortlisted for Banipal’s Translation Award and named a Notable Translation in 2024 by "World Literature Today."
Furthermore, Nada is a member of the International Coaching Federation (ICF) Kuwait Chapter. She received her coaching certification from Coach Training Alliance (Colorado, USA) in September 2022. As a coach who works primarily with creatives, Nada offers tailored packages to graduate students, writers, and other artists who want to become professional in their chosen craft.
Quick Links:
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- For more on Nada's coaching packages, please visit her other website: Empowering Creatives.
- To book Nada for upcoming events, please fill out the Invitation Form.