Saheti learner celebrates a big win in poetry
Lutfiya said winning the award has inspired her to write more poems as she prepares to publish her first anthology.
Writer and poet Lutfiya Dadabhay said she has always dreamed of being recognized for her ‘dabbling’ in poetry.
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The matriculant from Saheti School recently won the International Portrait of My Soul Movement writing competition for her poem titled Brother.
The piece of writing will appear in a book featuring the winning poems to be published by the organisers, Genpackt.
“When I received the email that I had won the competition, it was the most surreal experience.
“My hands shook as I read the word ‘congratulations’.
“I couldn’t get further than the first sentence as my eyes welled up with tears and I rushed to deliver the news to my family.
“To be honest, I still can’t believe that something I wrote will be a part of this incredible anthology,” she stated.
She has also compiled an anthology titled The Coconut Leaf’s Song, comprising over 90 poems, exploring themes such as love, loss, mental illness and family.
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The book will be published by Olympia Publishers, London, in 2023.
“I have been writing for about five years now, primarily focusing on poetry and prose.
“Writing has always been a skill that I have been developing by reading a lot from a young age.
“What attracted me to poetry is the literary freedom that this genre allows.
“Poetry not only became a healthy outlet for negativity but gave me a platform with which I could explore my individuality and subjective experiences,” explained Lutfiya.
She added through poetry she can engage both the reader and the poet.
Stating that poetry is the most sincere form of self-expression.
“I remember seeing the advertisement for this competition, the headline boldly asking ‘Are you a poet?’
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“It was this question that encouraged me to enter the competition and pursue my dream of being a poet.
“Although sharing my poems with the world is my biggest dream, I was always nervous to pursue it, simply due to the degree of vulnerability which my poems explore,” she said.
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