Don’t tell me to fix my hijab
don’t tell me it’s crooked,
don’t tell me there’s a string of wired hair sticking out
don’t tell me
to take this crown off my head
it belongs there.
Israa is truly a ray of light! In 2021, when Israa completed the Year of Poetry program, she entered every workshop with a beaming smile and the brightest 'hiya' you'll ever hear.
Her writing is honest, generous and always willing to invite the reader into the intimacies of her worldview, asking us to stand alongside her and question the world. Her work strives for freedom, she examines both the larger injustices of the world and the smaller day-to-day challenges.
Here's how Israa describes herself:
"Seventeen, second generation immigrant, visible Muslim, a twin, and outspoken. My name is Israa and this is only the beginning of my writing journey.
Growing up not only in Western Sydney but in an era where the world has lost its mind. My life experiences have been quite unique, influencing my poetry of course.
In a world where the voiceless are not vouched for, I have always admired the few who actually address their discomfort towards societal matters rather than ignoring them.
An aspiring spoken word poet, I am on the journey to discover what my mind is capable of."
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A Story Factory, Year of Poetry publication.
Year of Poetry is one of Story Factory’s most intensive programs. Throughout 2021, a committed group of young writers came to workshops every Thursday afternoon – first at Story Factory in Parramatta; then, when the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic hit, over Discord. Through these and many other disruptions, the young people in this program continued to write and support each other. This chapbook was written as part of that project.
This project was supported by the Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund.