Stories and ideas, written slowly.
Essays, notes and ideas about reading, cities and the craft of paying attention — published when they are ready.
Written slowly
Long-form essays, published only when they are ready.
In two languages
Every story told in Arabic and English, each in its own voice.
Reading, without the noise
No ads, no pop-ups, no tracking — just the words.
Latest stories
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How I read more without trying harder
I did not find more time. I just removed a few obstacles between me and the next page. For years I told myself I was too busy to read. Then I counted…
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The quiet value of boredom
We have become very good at never being bored. A queue, a lift, a red light — each gap is filled before it can open. I noticed it first in myself: the…
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A note on unfinished drafts
I used to delete drafts that went nowhere. Now I keep them all in one folder called “Later”. It started by accident: I was too tired to decide whether a half-written essay…
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Writing for one reader
When I write for “an audience”, the sentences stiffen. When I write for one person I know, they loosen and become honest. An audience is an abstraction. It has no face, no…
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Packing light, thinking clearly
Every object you carry asks for a little attention. Fewer things means more of you is left for the place itself. I used to pack for every possible version of a trip:…
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The café that taught me a city
For a year I wrote at the same corner table of the same café. Without meaning to, I learned the rhythm of the whole street. What a window shows The baker’s first…
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