DELAL REMEZAN

Hasakah- In North and East Syria, women have become more visible in art and culture since the revolution that started on July 19, 2012. Fayrouz Rishk, a poet, is one of these women. She discovered her talent for writing stories and poems years ago. Her family supported her to read books and she started writing poems in 1989.

“I was very interested in literature, particularly novels and stories. That time, we could not write down everything. After the revolution in Rojava, writers and poets began to publish their works in Kurdish. Before the revolution, several of my poems were published by several Kurdish magazines.”

She decided to write poems to tell the sufferings of her people

Fayrouz Rishk wrote a poetry book before the revolution. “However, my book was published in 2013. The book tells the sufferings of the Kurdish people so I could not publish it before the revolution.” Fayrous Rishk has already published a book consisting of stories. “The stories are about women, who have lost their children and spouses in the war, the situation of children, mothers, activists and the sufferings of the Kurdish people.” 

Fayrouz Rishk thinks there is no time for writing poems. “Because sometimes poems call me to write them. I write poems sometimes when I am on the street, on my way to work. I write poems when I see a child.”

‘I will attend the poetry festival to be held in Raqqa’

Fayrous Rishk has attended many poetry festivals until now. “I will attend the poetry festival to be held in Raqqa on August 28,” she told us.

‘Women have played an important role in all spheres of life’

Emphasizing that the number of women in the labor force was very low before the revolution, she said, “However, the number of women in the workforce has been increasing since the revolution. Women have proven their presence by playing an important role in all spheres of life, including art and culture. Each woman has the power to overcome all problems.”