Poetry Evening: The Hidden Pearl

Inspired by Photographing the Distance, this literary evening explores the sea as a space of longing,
memory, guidance and hidden meaning. The program brings together poets and writers from Saudi
Arabia and the wider Red Sea region to reflect on how the sea appears in Arabic poetry as a route,
archive emotions and landscape.

The evening will open with selected classical verses, including the line “ نماك ردلا هئاشحأ في رحبلا انأ“ ,
using the sea as a metaphor for depth, language, discovery and what remains hidden beneath the
surface. This will be followed by contemporary poetry readings that respond to themes of distance,
departure, return, light and belonging.

The evening will be gently accompanied by oud tones and soft melodies, creating an atmospheric
background that supports the rhythm of the poetry without overpowering the spoken word. The
soundscape will evoke the relationship between the sea and the desert: the movement of waves,
the silence of distance, and the emotional pull of longing and return. Through voice and music, the
program will create a reflective setting where poetry, memory, and place come together.

Materials:
Microphones, armchairs and seating, speaker biography slides, printed poem excerpts, small
writing cards, pens, display wall or board for audience responses, water and coffee, photography
and videography coverage.