Manar’s first words in Amsterdam: ‘The word duwen takes me back to where I do not want to be’

Manar Shalhoub, 30, is a Dutch-Syrian poet and writer who has lived in the Netherlands since 2021. Her poetry collection Aldarb Masamer ( The road is strewn with nails ), an exploration of love in times of war, was shortlisted for the El Hizjra Literature Prize in 2025.