When Literature Heals: Nasra Al Adawi’s Brave Faces

Unlike many writers who define literary creativity as a mere outlet for détente and self-indulgence, or perhaps as an escape from the self and its unbearable limitations and frustrations, Nasra Al Adawi, an emerging poet from the Sultanate of Oman, can be confidently ranked among those engaged writers who use their literary talent as a vehicle for altruistic expression and as an effective inspirational conduit for reaching out to those who need literature for its healing and “debrutalizing” power. She conceives of the act of writing as a complementary therapy, by no means as a substitute for mainstream medical treatment—a healing force that should not be ignored in dealing particularly with cancer patients.