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Writer Fatima Saleem has left ‘nothing unsaid’ in her recently published book she hopes will inspire people to stand up for themselves and seek help when needed.
The New Indian School student, who struggled with her own demons while growing up, such as bullying, found solace in penning her thoughts on paper in poetry form.
Her thoughts, feelings and experiences have been documented in rhythm, rhymes, stories and images thanks to a collaboration with friends.
“Unsaid is not just a poetry book,” said the 16-year-old who was born in Bahrain of Pakistani heritage. “It’s a journey and is very personal to me. Not just because I poured my heart and soul into it, but because the concept of it is something I hold dearly.
“Being scared to speak out, hiding myself in my thoughts and straying away from people is a phase I went through for a long time before I finally found myself. Unsaid stemmed from my fear, my ‘what-ifs’ and my ‘I will be OK’.”
The 179-pager doesn’t just feature poetry, there are also do-it-yourself solutions and short stories. It also includes images, including some taken by Bahraini photographer and 20-year-old University of Bahrain student Zainab Al-Alawi.
“Zainab is an insanely talented photographer and her pictures are featured around the book,” said Fatima who lives in West Riffa.
“The pictures add a lovely touch to the poetry pieces and almost complete it. Zainab and I, alongside two of my friends who volunteered to model for a few of the pictures, spent back-to-back days outside, travelling around Bahrain and capturing its beauty.
“As for the book itself, it’s also made in a way that you can pen down your thoughts and utilise it as diary too. I wanted to create something that my young, naïve and scared self would have found solace in.
“I remember when I used to have breakdowns, resorting to penning them down in a diary helped me feel better. With Unsaid, I wanted to do the same. Create something people could find comfort in doing too, rather than just reading.
“I also hope my book reminds people to never be afraid to speak up. I know from personal experience about keeping everything bottled up rather than talking about it and seeking help. It may seem an easier option but it’s not healthy. We need to say, ‘I am not okay’. We need to tell people, ‘I need more time’. Don’t consent or let something go on just because you fear you won’t fit in if you don’t.”
This is Fatima’s second published poetry book. In May 2019, she released Words for Bullets which is available in Bahrain at Neo Books and Coffee in Riffa and online with several retailers such as Amazon, Book Depository and Walmart.
She also published three books on online reading platform and app Wattpad – a short story titled Fragile and two novels named The Good in Diavolo and Toxicate Me.
Apparently, The Good in Diavolo hit one million reads last year and now has crossed a whopping 1.2 million. They are all available to read for free on the app.
While many aspects and experiences in life motivate Fatima’s writing, true inspiration stems from her father Saleem Iqbal, the head chef for Shaikh Ali bin Isa Al Khalifa’s Royal Palace, and mum Nighat, a science and mathematics teacher at Al Manar Private School.
Fatima also dreams of one day becoming a major influencer in the literature world and hopes to travel the globe sharing her work as well as empowering people through her words.
“Remember to be yourself and never let anyone dull your shine,” she added. “You are so much stronger and braver than you believe you are.”
And while she is still torn between studying law or only perusing English literature when she graduates, she knows without a doubt that she’ll never stop writing and publishing books.
Unsaid can be found on various online platforms and will be stocked at Neo Books & Coffee in the future.
For details, follow @fatimax227 on Instagram.
