Events

EVENTS

Watch this space for upcoming readings, performances, and events...

4/23, 5:30-7:30 Chicago Time, and 4/24, 1:30 am - 3:30 am Kuwait Time: Featured Poetry Reading at HALAL IF YOU HEAR ME. Event organized by Young Chicago Authors as part of the Rooted & Radical festival. It is curated and hosted by AJ Saleh. Also featuring poetry by Yasmine Rukia and Nyuma Waggeh, as well as some incredible tunes from NAXÖ.

3/15, 5:00 - 6:00 pm: Facilitating a Creative Writing Workshop on Docupoetics. Event organized by The English Club at Gulf University for Science and Technology. The workshop was accompanied by a lecture and a +100-page PDF packet that includes selected poems, writing prompts, and more resources for this class.

Past Events

Charity & Volunteer Work: 2022

Faris gives back whenever possible because she believes in community. While she has often done this anonymously, she now feels it is important to highlight the institutions she's worked with to emphasize that giving back to community is at the heart of her writing philosophy. Charity and volunteer work are, in other words, inseparable from her writing, performing, or teaching practices.

Faris gives back 10% of all the money she receives including the money she gets from writing awards, honorariums, stipends, and loans. This year's tithing has gone to or is still going toward the following organizations:

CHARITABLE DONATIONS

Ethar KW: A volunteer group battling violence against women in Kuwait
KareQ8: Kuwait Awareness & Rehabilitation Education
Kabbalah Center: The Kabbalah Centre teaches the wisdom of Kabbalah and provides assistance on how to apply this wisdom in daily life.

PATREON

ArabLit Quarterly - for the indispensable work to document and highlight Arab literature. You can peruse the journal for free here.
Thom Donovan (Left Melancholic) - for his beautiful and intelligent writing. Here you will find samples of his writing that you can explore for free.
Mona Eltahawy - for although I disagree that anger should be viewed as fuel or destination, as I consider anger a signal that requires decoding, I agree with Eltahawy's insistence on patriarchy needing to be dismantled not only theorized. In addition, I highly recommend the weekly book reviews and insight into her upcoming projects. Eltahawy is active on Twitter, follow her to get a taste of her content.
The Great Blight: A Wheel of Time Fan Community.

Past Charity & Volunteer Work

Selected Conferences & Festivals

INTERNATIONAL

Bridgewater International Poetry Festival Fall 2020 Virtual Event, Nov. 16-19, 2020 (Poetry Reading)
Iowa City’s Book Festival, Oct. 12, 2013 (Panel, Facts and Fiction, Paper: Representation and Kuwaiti Literature)
Shubbak Festival, Jul. 4, 2013 (Poetry Reading)

REGIONAL

Canadian University Dubai, TEDx event: TEDxCanadianUniversityDubai, Oct. 26, 2017 (Talk: “The Beauty of Friendship”)

LOCAL

Gulf University for Science and Technology’s English Language and Literature Conference (GELL) “Translingualism,” Apr. 18, 2017 (Panel, Paper: “Writing and Space: Physical and Psychological Influence”)
American University of Kuwait’s Biennial Literary Festival, Apr. 6, 2017 (Poetry Reading)
Arab Open University’s Knowledge Development Seminar, May 8, 2018 (Short Story Reading, Mischief Diary, and talk On the Writing Life)
Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Cultural Centre (JAAC), TEDx event: TEDxAlShuwaikh Sep. 16, 2017 (Talk: “Perception is Only an Ink Stain Away”)
Dar Al-Athar Al-Islamiyyah showcase of Kuwaiti Talents, event sponsored by US Embassy and SABAB Theatre, May 26, 2013

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE

- MFA in Creative Writing, Columbia University, 2020
- Higher Diploma in Comparative Literature, Kuwait University, 2013
- BA in English Language & Literature, Kuwait University, 2006
- IGCSE, Gulf English School, 2001

CERTIFICATION

- The Certified Coach Program, Coach Training Alliance, March - September 2022

MEMBERSHIP

- The International Coaching Federation (ICF), September 2022