QL Exclusive: An interview with Qatari blogger and writer, Shaima Al-Sultan
Qatar Living speaks to the writer, human rights activist, blogger, and legal counsel, Shaima Al-Sultan, to learn more about her experience in her different roles.
Shaima has a bachelor and master’s degree in law. Although she has never studied literature, she felt naturally inclined to become a writer. Now, she manages between her talent, human rights activities as well as and her studies.
“For me, it depends on a person’s state of mind, and that changes every so often. My experiences up to this moment and my interest in literature and human rights have led me to being a writer and a human rights activist,” she said.
Shaima’s inspiration for writing comes from her father, she mentioned.
“I think my father has played a huge part in this; he is an avid reader and among other things, a writer. Thus, reading was one of the first things I remember being heavily drawn to,” she said.
“Once I started developing an interest in literature, I was drawn to novels and short stories. I then started diversifying my readings from Arab to international literature,” she added.
Regarding her inspiration she said, “Ideas and knowledge by everyone and everything inspires me. I find it delightful to think about how big the world is compared to my knowledge and what I know. It keeps me on the constant lookout for new ideas out there.”
Shaima has a blog where she tries to publish her writings in addition to sharing it on her social media pages.
She has also won a couple of short story awards, one of them was the Vodafone short story competition where her short story earned first place.
Shaima said she has learned many lessons from her experience as a writer.
“Do not rush your thoughts. A good idea will come in the right time and place, with the right state of mind,” she highlighted.
For her, the aim is to touch people in a way that they can relate to the ideas embedded within her stories.
“Stories may fade but ideas last forever. My messages mostly revolve around love, peace, and rights. These are broad elements, which reflect numerous things. However, with these three, I want people to feel empowered. They might seem like they are broad elements, but I want my reads to feel like they can change the world for the better, in any way they can through this broad scope of examining the world,” she described.
Speaking about the impact of COVID-19, Shaima said she felt it was challenging to have the right state of mind, but it has also been a good time to take a break and revise her ideas and thoughts.
“This break made a friend of mine and I start an initiative to review various books on Instagram. We realized there is a great amount of content online worth watching and reading. It has been a hard time of course but taking things easy and unwinding is always a good plan,” she said.
She concluded by advising all young writers and authors to “Read, read, and then read some more.”
“Develop your own perspective of the world, determine your values, and then start writing. Everyone can write, but not everyone is considered a writer,” she said.
To know more about Shaima and her short stories, you can check her on her Instagram: @shaimajs
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