ALKHOBAR, 30 April 2004 — “Poetry is the ultimate height of human intellect. Life is not lived up until the depths of poetry are explored.” This is what Tazeen Zahida wrote when her poem, ‘Life is a tale’ won the Editor’s Choice Award given by United State’s National Library of Poetry in a poem competition. Tazeen was asked to write in its publication, ‘The Sounds of Silence’ in which her poem was also printed.

Despite Tazeen being an Urdu speaker, she writes in English and wants to be known not as a poet but a dramatist.

Tazeen is a Pakistani who has lived in Saudi Arabia for most of her life. She started writing plays at an early age. Her plays won accolades and prizes. Tazeen drew inspiration from her father, Habib Siddiqui, himself a renowned poet. Her father used to have get-togethers at home where such poets as Hemayat Ali Shayar, Peerzada Qasim, and Raghib Muradabadi were invited. So Tazeen had the advantage of listening to quality poetry at an early age.

Tazeen has written, produced and acted in many plays. She loves Urdu literature but says, “I was inspired to write in English by Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar. He had a command over Urdu language yet his English writings are beautiful.”

Tazeen feels the dearth of libraries and high cost of books in the Kingdom have contributed to the decline in reading habits. Women do not read, she says. They discuss recipes and family problems whenever they meet.

Tazeen hopes to launch a book club where women would have to read something or discuss something they read every month. The club will spur women’s literary activities, she hopes. She says she sometimes realize it is very difficult to be a writer and a housewife at the same time. An idea or a poetry strikes you when you are in the midst of some business, she says.

The award-winning poem that Tazeen wrote also came the same way. “I was feeding my daughter and I read an advertisement in Reader’s Digest which mentioned the poetry competition. I thought of participating in it and started thinking of what I could submit. The idea sprang up in my head. With one hand I was holding my baby and with the other I was jotting down poetry! I never thought I would win. It came as a pleasant surprise for me.”

Tazeen is currently working on a few plays which are adaptations from English literature.