The Baghdad Organization for Literary Creativity - UNESCO held a dialogue seminar today, Wednesday, at the Al-Qabangi Heritage Café in the capital, where poet Nazim al-Sarkhi spoke about his poetry collection "This Warmth is Cold" and signed it in the presence of a gathering of writers and critics.
Poet Nazim al-Sarkhi stated in a special comment to Video News Agency that the evening was beautiful and celebrated his poetic achievements represented by his collections "Thirst of Water" and "This Warmth is Cold," indicating that the title of the collection represents the existential contradiction and the reflection between the apparent and the hidden. The cold physical warmth expresses estrangement, deception, and the separation between truth and lies, loyalty and ingratitude.
For his part, Dr. Shakir al-Samarrai confirmed to Video News Agency that this literary activity is an extension of the ongoing events organized by writers represented by the General Union of Writers and Authors in Iraq and the cultural institutions in Al-Mutanabbi Street and the heritage cafés.
He pointed out that the poet Nazim al-Sarkhi's book relies on poetic flashes and short concise sentences that embody the principle of "The best speech is what is brief and meaningful" and the meanings and implications it carries.
Meanwhile, the Executive Director of the Baghdad Organization for Literary Creativity, Dr. Sadiq Rahma Muhammad, explained during his talk to Video News Agency that this event falls under the Creative City program approved by UNESCO since Baghdad was designated a literary city in 2015.
He emphasized the necessity of using culture and innovation as fundamental pillars to achieve sustainable development and expand creative spaces, and to transfer activities to heritage cafés to elevate cultural movement.