OPA: How long have you been writing Poetry? We
would like to know the early stories about your growing up as a poet or writer
in general. Who are your favourite Poets? What are some of your favourite
genres to read and to write? Had they inspired you a lot, do you believe in
inspiration as a guiding force behind writings at all?
FETHI SASSI: I’ve been writing poetry from my
first young days, since I’m twelve years old. Since my early days I was
fascinated about reading; I kept to choose
most kind of excellent books that give me a great chance to increase my
knowledge; this kind of reading make my level going better. At first my favourite
poets was the old Arabic ones that offers me the chance to try the poetic
rhythm and exercises my writing deeply. Second I was interested by the Syrian
poet Nizar kabani and the Palestinian
Mahmoud Derwich inspired me a lot in the poetry world and teaches me
more technical method writing and more words and verbs from the dictionary. Therefore
my pictures begin to belong to a different imagination. That’s why I ‘m sure
about inspiration as a guiding power that goes far in writing and keep ideas
flowing one by one.
OPA: What has been the toughest criticism
given to you as a writer? What was the biggest compliment? Did that change how
or what you write? What has been the
strangest thing that a reader has asked you?
FETHI SASSI: All poets and writers has the possibility
to be under the criticism provocation;
indeed in my weekly meeting with some important poets and academia teachers who’s try to explain to me
how can we get a successful
poem by discovering a new method of
writing and they try always
to correct the general ways of my writing to improve better. My biggest complement was
writing the modern poem comparing to the new wave of poetry. but there is a
strange ideas of some poets affirming that there is only one way to write
Arabic poetry with the kalil verses. As a fanatic attitude make me upset.
OPA: What is your favourite poem you have ever
written? Compared to when you first started writing, have you notice any big
changes in your writing style or how you write compared from then to now?
FETHI SASSI: I can never
imagine a favourite poem because I don’t make comparison between them. Just I
compare my sons; all they have different tastes and they have been made and
written in different world and feelings too.
Even the first ones; it was my first guest on my whiteness. From the
beginning I don’t write with the same ability I become more joined to my world
as I built a cave to live in with too many special rituals.
OPA: What has been your favourite part of
being a poet or and author? What has been your least favourite?
FETHI SASSI: This is really a
big hope to be a poet or a writer. As a prophet that gives for all people the way to live
more with love and peace. Always
convert the poet his great hopes for love to others by writing. Many lines or a poem even a whole
book; a promise to live more in happiness and a passport for humanity to give a
chance for tomorrow.
OPA: Did you get to quit your day job and
become a writer and/or author, or do you still have a day job and writing is
something you do for fun? If you still have a day job, what is it?
FETHI SASSI: I can never do it
because in my country there is no job in poetry or writer. We do this with passion and we
spend our own money to publish books you can never compare us as the developed countries when you see
the culture is an industry. This is really incomparable and I hope that one day we can achieve this level.
OPA: Besides writing and reading, what is your
most favourite thing to do? What genre are you most looking forward to explore
during your writing career? Why?
FETHI SASSI: I can see that
writing and reading are the most important thing in my life. And I was all my life in the
way to do it with nonstop. I
always practice my second passion as canary breeders. I have now an important number of canaries
that they are my lonely friends and fellows. It is really a great pleasure to be the hole day
in the accompany of such creature.
OPA: Do you think literature or poetry is
essential in our life? If so why? How does it relate to the general history of
mankind?
FETHI SASSI: Yes, really it is
very primordial to live in the poetry world, but only for the person who has the
possibility to give something of the readers, to benefit the knowledge of
others; and subtract questions ready for a new look and new answers. Every
writer and poet contributes in the general history of the mankind by completing the missed sentences that
solve existence and the legendary heavy questions.
OPA: Our readers would like to know your own
personal experience regarding the importance of literature and poetry in your
life.
FETHI SASSI: To write poetry is
not to answer questions but to try to ask differently. This is most of the big lesson that I have done
and keep understood. Really
I see differently this fantastic world and always I try to answer my questions differently and
answer too. the poetry is the unusual view to everything.
OPA: Do you think people in general bother
about literature in general? Do you
think this consumerist world is turning the average man away from serious
literature?
FETHI SASSI: In general most
people bother about literature; it is the wrong way that they like to be in.
But if they consider that talking is never be efficient and writing is the
perfect method to go in excellent discussion with everything. The new life and
the technology that beats our daily life, offer for us only everything with no
effort and they have no more time to think about.
OPA: If humanity tries to understand tradition
and modernism; do you think literature can play a pivotal role in obtaining
understanding? If so, how? Again, how
can an individual writer relate himself or herself with the tradition and
modernism?
FETHI SASSI: Yes, I think so.
Literature can have an important effect to join for humanity the understanding
between tradition and modernism in the simple way that the modern things are no
more than the new way of tradition; we have to believe the big relation between
them. Every field has to make a great development in the built of such
things.
OPA: Do you think society is a factor in
shaping you as a poet, or your poetry altogether?
FETHI SASSI: I don’t think so
because the society cannot help the creator to shape; as he advances lonely to
charge his world.
OPA: We would like to know about any
influences that has inspired your poetry and writings.
FETHI SASSI: More influences
has inspired my poetry and writings are my readings and my relation with important poets, our contact
improved my level of writing because changing experiences is so important.
OPA: We would also like to know; how do you
relate the present literary trends with the literary heritage of your
country?
FETHI SASSI: My country has a
great and important literary heritage from the last century We can observe most of poets
and writers with too much works in different literary object; all those are
preparing the way for us to make more important writing.
OPA: Do you believe that all writers are the
product of their nationality? Is it an incentive or an obstacle in becoming an
international writer?
FETHI SASSI: Really we are the
product of our society and nationality. we keep to belong For it and for all the chances
that it offer for us. more the nation tries to give for her writers and poets
the real value and to give all the possibilities in a hard and power work more
the train of the art will go faster. To become an international writer is a personal purpose, if the
writer live with a great ambitions he can go greater with time to become very
known but step by step.
OPA: What 7 words would you use to describe
yourself?
FETHI SASSI: Love- happiness-
beauty- peace- poetry – book- body – philosophy-Woman- the impossible poem.
OPA:
Is there anything else that you would like to share or say to those who
will read this interview?
FETHI SASSI: I like to give for
all my readers to try everyday reading some books, to try seeing the world in our place
to admire the world where we already live. To see, how we can together change this world just by one poem.
FETHI
SASSI
is a Tunisian poet, Haikuist, writer, and translator. He was born in Nabul in
1962. He has published five poetry collections: A Seed of Love (2010), I Dream
…. And I Sign on Birds The Last Words (2013), A Sky For A Strange Bird (2016),
As Lonely Rose on a Chair (2017) and And You Are the Entire Poem, (Canada in
2017): https://www.createspace.com/7092707
The editorial
staff of this project: Stacia Lynn Reynolds and Deborah Brooks Langford;
sincerely thank you for your time and hope we shall have your continued
support.
