Istabraq Al Ahmadi Biography

My name is Estabraq (Istabraq) Rafea Gharkan. I was born in Iraq, in Anbar, Ramadi, in 1986. I have MA in English literature from the University of Baghdad/ College of Arts. Currently, I am an Asst-instructor of English poetry at the University of Anbar/ Faculty of Arts/ Dept. of English. Poetry is of a paramount importance to me. I consider teaching and writing English poetry as unique and life-changing experiences which played a vital role in shaping my mentality, gave me an opportunity to explore serious issues and helped me reach a better understanding of life. I firmly believe that poetry, as well as any form of creative writing, can undoubtedly be an effective tool to achieve cultural understanding between nations or cultures. Poetry opens our eyes to the true value and significance of cultural diversity and difference. It also stresses the need to communicate and share our values, interests and knowledge. To me, to write poetry is to write your identity and to expose your cultural heritage, by peaceful means, to the other in order to bridge any cultural gap. Thus, my future goals aim at studying creative writing in order to develop my creative talent as a poet and to help people change their life for the better.