Students at Northwestern Qatar have launched the latest edition of Wisteria, an online literary journal featuring student creative work in poetry, fiction, art, photography, cartoons, literary translations, and ideas pieces.
In producing the publication, students work with Professor Sam Meekings to highlight their creative work under select themes and then showcase them to the community at an annual open mic event. Featuring poetry, fiction, creative non-fiction, and art, this fall’s edition of Wisteria comes under the theme Who are you? and includes work exploring identity and what it means to be human in a digital and changing world.
Among the pieces featured in is You & I, a poem by Ghalya Al-Mohammed that explores love and human emotions. Centering around an imaginary encounter between two lovers, Al-Mohammed’s poem captures the impact of physical presence and meetings on the ways humans connect with each other and sustain meaningful relationships.
Another piece is In Memory of MU5735, a digital painting by Ginger Wang commemorating passengers killed onboard the China Eastern Airlines jet that crashed in 2022. “The plane crash left many unanswered questions but most remarkably left us all behind grieving as a nation, said Wang. “I hope my drawing captures the tragedy and the tears of the many families who will not get to hug their loved ones again.”
In producing the publication, students work with Professor Sam Meekings to highlight their creative work under select themes and then showcase them to the community at an annual open mic event. Featuring poetry, fiction, creative non-fiction, and art, this fall’s edition of Wisteria comes under the theme Who are you? and includes work exploring identity and what it means to be human in a digital and changing world.
Among the pieces featured in is You & I, a poem by Ghalya Al-Mohammed that explores love and human emotions. Centering around an imaginary encounter between two lovers, Al-Mohammed’s poem captures the impact of physical presence and meetings on the ways humans connect with each other and sustain meaningful relationships.
Another piece is In Memory of MU5735, a digital painting by Ginger Wang commemorating passengers killed onboard the China Eastern Airlines jet that crashed in 2022. “The plane crash left many unanswered questions but most remarkably left us all behind grieving as a nation, said Wang. “I hope my drawing captures the tragedy and the tears of the many families who will not get to hug their loved ones again.”
Eiman Nasir wrote her creative non-fiction piece Jana to tell the story of the time when she found a diary of her grandmother’s wedding story. Recounting the questions she had and the feelings of estrangement she felt at the time, Nasir said putting feelings into writing helped her understand that, “maybe you never get to know some things, maybe who you are hides in questions unasked; in answers ungiven.”
Meekings, who teaches creative writing at Northwestern Qatar, highlighted how this year’s theme brings students together in the name of creativity and discovery. “Our identities as individuals are always shaped by events and the people in our lives,” said Meekings. “This year’s theme comes as a question to encourage students to go on a creative journey of discovery of the various aspects of our lives that shape who we are as individuals.”
Wisteria is one of the many student-led creative initiatives and programs at Northwestern Qatar designed to provide a platform to showcase their creative work and celebrate the creative voices in the community.
Meekings, who teaches creative writing at Northwestern Qatar, highlighted how this year’s theme brings students together in the name of creativity and discovery. “Our identities as individuals are always shaped by events and the people in our lives,” said Meekings. “This year’s theme comes as a question to encourage students to go on a creative journey of discovery of the various aspects of our lives that shape who we are as individuals.”
Wisteria is one of the many student-led creative initiatives and programs at Northwestern Qatar designed to provide a platform to showcase their creative work and celebrate the creative voices in the community.
