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The Distance-bookcover

By: Azza El Wakeel

The Distance

Pages: 60 Ratings: 5.0
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At the age of eleven, Azza El Wakeel wrote in her diary that she wished to become a poetess because poets are capable of expressing their deep feelings and thoughts in a wonderful style. Several years later she discovered that her simple lines could be considered poems – that the texts in her diaries are poetry! All at once, she became a poetess and writer.
Through writing she discovers herself and understands her feelings; she enjoys forming new sentences, playing with words, drawing images and composing inner music between the lines.
Sharing her words makes her happy and she’s pleased to leave a mark of beauty on the earth, because she believes that poetry is the most beautiful thing in the world!

Azza El Wakeel is an Egyptian author, born and living in Alexandria, Egypt. She graduated from the Business and Administration Department, Faculty of Commerce. Writing is technically her hobby, though it is much more than that.
Azza wrote a weekly column in an Arab family magazine from 1992 till 1996. She has published two poetry books in Arabic: Untraditional Woman (1999) and  First Seasons of Love (2000).
Having translated some of her poems into English, Azza has been able to reach an English-speaking audience via her website azzaelwakeel.com.

Customer Reviews
5.0
14 reviews
14 reviews
  • Pervaiz

    "The Distance" by Azza El Wakeel is a heartfelt collection of poems that reflects the author's journey of self-discovery and emotional expression. Inspired by her childhood dream of becoming a poetess, El Wakeel captures deep feelings and thoughts with elegance and creativity. Her poetry is a testament to the power of words, drawing readers into a world of vivid imagery and inner music. This book is a beautiful exploration of emotions, making it a delightful read for anyone who appreciates the art of poetry and the beauty it brings to life.

  • Ranga Rajah

    Azza El Wakeel’s strength lies in the fact that she uses easy and everyday language to describe complex emotions of love and longing. Ultimately, the power lies in her poems which carry you along and you begin to live the life of having loved and lost. Azza’s poems simply flow, like a carefree gypsy walking around the valleys and hills wearing flowers and colourful dresses, chasing a butterfly, and embracing the wind. This is how I felt reading while reading ‘A gypsy in a state of love’ The spine, the heart of the book is love, so pure, so great, that it is not possible to have it from a mere mortal, it has to be divine, love out of this world. Can we find that kind of love ever in this world? In these times? After reading Azza’s poems, it feels that such love might be possible to find. It is just that, our heart needs to seek that level of love and we will all find it. Love that is innocent, love that is pure, love that is untouched, yet touched by everything including heartbreaks. There is a poem that is close to my heart, Apology. Why? We all want an ocean of love, not something that is fed drop by drop. The demands of a lover are Charmingly expressed In The titular poem ‘The Distance’ Azza talks about how a lover's heart cannot bear the distance and what it does to her heart, this same lover loved solitude, but being away from her beloved even temporarily the lover experiences different emotions including jealousy, confusion, unsafe, even suffering This collection includes poems that talk about longing, waiting, finding love, and departing from love. I am focussing on the love and lovers part. There are a few poems on other topics including covid, bombs, and sufferings around the world. Overall, Azza stays true to her theme of love, be it between two people, love for the world, or human lives.

  • Alicia Gilliam

    Ms El Wakeels' heritage is older that the ancients. I knew I would feel that voice in her poems. She is Woman that experiences the same issues any Woman on this Globe does. She brings a voice to GenX in 'PhD In Love', I enjoyed it tremendously! With an echoe of humanities Ancients she speaks of loving the Fire of a Womans Soul in 'A Gypsy In A State of Love.' Ms. El Wakeel is a 'Womans~Woman' Author. She is a voice for Womens Encouragement. This body of work, from a Global Womans Voice, is a rarity. Endure yourself in it. I'm on my 3rd time reading it. Congratulations, Lady Azza!

  • Laila Gomaa

    Finally your beautiful poems written in English are now available in a book; I'm so excited to obtain my copy. Wish you great success!.

  • Nada

    A lovely poem I really like it so much.

  • Alicia G Gilliam

    I befriended Ms. El Wakeel because she hails from an ancients old Global City.
    Alexandria, Egypt & a Poet.
    I wanted to hear the voices of those hearts thousands of years before her.
    She did not disappoint!
    Ms. El Wakeel is as passionate for everything any woman around the globe is.
    Love. Integrity. Guarding our hearts against pain.
    She is a Woman who speaks poetically.
    I am very pleased at her New Work. Her poems have spoken to my grieving, hurt heart. I'm healing now. Thank you, my Collective Woman of Color, A Global Creative, A Poetess.
    Alicia G Gilliam

  • Fernandez Family Books

    This is an amazing collection of poetry by a truly talented writer. If you are a poetry lover, getting a copy is a no brainier. Stop reading this and order it now. If you just dabble in poetry (like I do), this is the kind I like to read: short, but punchy. The kind of poetry that sticks in your head all day. The kind of poetry that makes you relate to someone on the other side of the world, and share the emotions, if not the experience. We need more empathy in the world, and really digesting someone else's experiences in this moving of a way, is one way to get there. My highest recommendation!

  • A.G

    An Echoing Voice Resonating Beauty!
    Ms El Wakeels' heritage is older than the ancients. I knew I would feel that voice in her poems.
    She is a Woman that experiences the same issues any Woman on this Globe does. She brings a voice to GenX in 'PhD In Love', I enjoyed it tremendously!
    With an echo of humanities Ancients, she speaks of loving the Fire of a Woman's Soul in 'A Gypsy In A State of Love.'
    Ms El Wakeel is a 'Womans~Woman' Author. She is a voice for Women's Encouragement. This body of work, from a Global Women's Voice, is a rarity. Endure yourself in it. I'm on my 3rd time reading it.
    Congratulations, Lady Azza!

  • Aly Mostafa

    The Distance by Azza El Wakeel is beauty in simplicity, a variety of amazing thoughts written in an elegant smooth style by a talented author. Looking forward to reading more of her poems.

  • Dr Elsayed Samir

    It is a wonderful and interesting book that I highly recommend you to read

  • Khan Eagle

    I met Azza on twitter. She is not only a wonderful poet, but also a true friend of arts. When I read her poems, I found myself on a journey from ancient Egypt to the present. The plain language and rich metaphors she uses add a different flavor to her poems. In addition, her original sayings, inventions open a different window for poets and poetry lovers. For example:

    You, man, are so pure
    You couldn't be born
    From a human being
    But by a river

    This book definitely deserves 5 stars. I highly recommend it to all literature and poetry lovers.

  • Ranga Iyer

    Azza is a fine writer who has command over sensitive portrayals. She chooses words with care, yet very effective. Her words reach for your heart and create images and visuals. And, the best part if, every line I read was relatable and I felt 'this has happened to me', 'I have experienced this'.
    Azza has this special ability to work with words and command them to form meanings and expressions and feelings.
    I love her poems. Azza is meant for writing poems, and to be surrounded by words and phrases.
    I have had the pleasure of interacting with this excellent poetess.
    And would say that her personality reflects in her writings. Pure, open, and large-hearted, who feels deeply and connects instantly to emotions, including happiness and, she is also one who doesn't hesitate to reach out.
    The Distance is a must-read for people who like to dig a little deeper and understand what lies deep inside their hearts.

  • Ranga Rajah

    Azza El Wakeel’s strength lies in the fact that she uses easy and everyday language to describe complex emotions of love and longing.
    Ultimately, the power lies in her poems which carry you along and you begin to live the life of having loved and lost.
    Azza’s poems simply flow, like a carefree gypsy walking around the valleys and hills wearing flowers and colourful dresses, chasing a butterfly, and embracing the wind.
    This is how I felt reading while reading ‘A gypsy in a state of love’

    The spine, the heart of the book is love, so pure, so great, that it is not possible to have it from a mere mortal, it has to be divine, love out of this world.
    Can we find that kind of love ever in this world? In these times?
    After reading Azza’s poems, it feels that such love might be possible to find. It is just that, our heart needs to seek that level of love and we will all find it.
    Love that is innocent, love that is pure, love that is untouched, yet touched by everything including heartbreaks.

    There is a poem that is close to my heart, Apology. Why? We all want an ocean of love, not something that is fed drop by drop. The demands of a lover are Charmingly expressed

    In The titular poem ‘The Distance’ Azza talks about how a lover's heart cannot bear the distance and what it does to her heart, this same lover loved solitude, but being away from her beloved even temporarily the lover experiences different emotions including jealousy, confusion, unsafe, even suffering

    This collection includes poems that talk about longing, waiting, finding love, and departing from love.

    I am focussing on the love and lovers part. There are a few poems on other topics including covid, bombs, and sufferings around the world.
    Overall, Azza stays true to her theme of love, be it between two people, love for the world, or human lives.

  • Steve

    Powerful, compact, full of movement and life. A must read for any poetry fan. For those not yet into the art of language, THIS BOOK MAY CHANGE YOUR MIND! Inspiring, but from such a grounded source, I could gush all day about Azza’s work. Dont waste anymore time reading my words, pick up The Distance now!!

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