In a city of millions, it is easy to feel lost and alone. But in the blossoming poetry community of Dubai, people from near and far are tethered together by their mutual love for words and self-expression.

Writing has always been a part of Alysia since childhood. Naturally, she was drawn to her first spoken word poetry event in Oregon, USA.

"I went on stage, and I did it twice; I had horrible stage fright. And it would be another five years before I did it again. And that was in Dubai in Blank Space. Basically, I got my heart broken, and I wanted to go on stage.

I was horrified going into it because, again, I tried it in the States. So, it was very scary when I did it in Dubai; there was just so much love, so much respect and care; you were allowed to fail, and if you failed, it didn't matter, because it didn't feel like they were judging you so hard on this art; you needed to be perfect, or you needed to express it perfectly. There was just a lot of forgiveness and love and finding your legs here," Alysia says.

In the very heart of the poetry community in Dubai, everyone's bound together by the abundance of support, non-judgemental energy and love. Malavika, who was born and raised in Dubai, emphasises support, saying, "They're incredibly supportive. They are some of the nicest people you will ever meet. The community here wants you to be able to do what you want to do and wants to encourage and support you through it. I think we try our best to be an open space where people can just come to explore and try out new things, experience new art forms, and kind of just have fun."

Adding to the emphasis on openness, Alysia says, "I think that the fact that it's built in such a community-orientated space makes people super supportive of new poets. And it doesn't feel the same way it felt in the States, like there is a kind of barrier to entry, like you have to exceed certain things in order to be let into the club."

Poetry is an art form that transcends language. In the melting pot of culture that is Dubai, it has branched out into various dialects. "While I don’t understand it, people still keep coming to the shows. You can feel it when somebody's truly expressing themselves — it is so much more authentic when it is in their own language. It is not about forcing their words to fit somebody else's vernacular; it is about using their own voice. I have loved watching that there is a lot more diversity," Alysia says about the poetry community.

Malavika agrees that there is a beautiful outpouring of diversity, saying, "I think the perspectives that we get over here are so diverse, perhaps more so compared to other countries. We are all in this very interesting, unique position of living in Dubai and being people who are somehow from here but at the same time not.

It is a unique space to listen to all these different perspectives, watching them come together, watching the tension between them, and how they can merge.”

For many people, poetry is an outlet for their emotions, cathartic. There is a beautiful intimacy in sharing that with strangers, which is expressed by Alysia, who says, "I think for me, when I first was getting into this, I was so scared of the judgment because poetry is a little bit more personal. You are writing about stuff that is usually a lot closer and a lot more sad, like there are a lot of heavy emotions behind it. And I don't come from the most stable background. And so it was a lot; I was really scared to share some of those pieces. And so once I did, I was okay. I had written a lot of poetry because I didn't want other people to feel alone.

So, I have heartbreak poetry. And it was because when I was going through these heartbreaks or these bigger feelings, I felt really alone, and I heard a radio talk show host say something. She was like, some people just don't realise how intense it could be. And I was like, okay, at least somebody gets it. And I was sitting in a taxi, and I just felt this overwhelming relief of not being alone in the world and not experiencing this big emotion by myself.

But then, when I shared some of the pieces that dug a little deeper into my past, people would come to me and share their own experiences or tell me they identified with certain things — things I never would have expected them to have gone through. It was also that reaffirmation of the fact that I needed to not feel alone.

And so this art that I was proclaiming as like this self-sacrifice of I'm trying to help the world was actually, in its origin, the exact thing I needed to help myself as help. I needed that support from the community. I needed people to identify with that. And so I think that that informed a big part of why I love this community so much, which is because of that aspect of how we all kind of bounce off of each other. In the beginning, I thought it was a one-way street. I'm giving my art to the world, and I didn't realise how much I needed that back."

What can you expect? Malavika says, “I think what you can expect is not to be judged. I think a lot of us are still very much in the beginning stages of our experience and our journey as writers. And more than anything, we are always excited to meet somebody with the same interests as us, who views literature, poetry, and the written arts with the same kind of respect and passion as we do.

Another thing is, if you come across one event or one of the workshops we do, I think we can introduce you to a wide range of different kinds of poetry and different kinds of spoken word. It is also a great place for you to experiment. If you have been writing and you have never really had any opportunity to share it, hear feedback, or gather audience response, I think it is a great place to also experiment and try new things and just meet people who think as you do and who enjoy the same things as you sometimes.

Dubai can feel very isolated. Even though it is a pretty bustling city, you can sometimes feel lonely and isolated. And I think being able to share your inner work, which is what a lot of poetry is, and also being around a community of people who are supportive and caring and kind; I think you can expect to feel a little bit spiritually fulfilled if that makes sense.  Just internally, feel calmer and happier."

In her final words, Malavika reminds us that, whether amateur or professional, there is always a spark of creativity flowing within us." I think poetry is often thought of as something that is meant only for certain types of people. So, it is only meant for the people who understand it. That is very similar to a lot of arts. It is kind of held in this regard that poetry is not the same as other forms of literature. It is something that requires some kind of deep understanding. I don't think that that is the case. I think there is a poet in everyone. We all have our own experiences that we want to talk about, and I think most of us don't realise that we are poets.”

Whether you are curious about spoken word poetry or long to be part of a community that shares a common passion, the doors of the Dubai poetry community are always wide open. A haven of ideas and differences and a celebration of humanity through words, the Dubai poetry community is a unifying artistic force growing in the region. 

If you are looking to explore the world of spoken word poetry and want to grow or observe the raw creativity in the UAE, there are a few places where gatherings happen. The Basement in Sharjah hosts regular open mic events, where the public can share their spoken word creations or observe. Just Entertainment in Dubai is a space for comedy, music and poetry, with regular open mics and poetry workshops taking place. Additionally, PAUS Dubai has open mics which are open to the public.