Summary

Subhi Najar, known as "The Alchemist of Words," is a writer, public speaker, and war survivor who views writing as a transformative process akin to alchemy, sharing his life experiences and stories to inspire and connect with others.

Abstract

Subhi Najar introduces himself as a passionate wordsmith, whose early fascination with the power of words led him to be mocked as "the alchemist of words" by his teacher and peers. Born in Damascus, he has lived through the Syrian war, an experience that profoundly shaped his perspective and writing. Despite the hardships, Najar found solace and a new beginning in the Netherlands, where he continues to write and share his experiences. He emphasizes the importance of sharing stories beyond personal enjoyment, aiming to reach and impact a wider audience. His work is deeply influenced by his Kurdish heritage, the beauty of his homeland, and the resilience he has cultivated through life's trials. Najar's journey is a testament to the enduring power of words and storytelling as a means of survival, healing, and connection.

Opinions

Najar believes that combining words is akin to the alchemical process of transforming the simple into the complex, equating sentence creation with beauty and artistry.
He reflects on his childhood experience where his understanding of alchemy in the context of writing was misunderstood and led to mockery, yet it instilled in him a sense of purpose and persistence.
The author values the lessons learned from the Syrian war, viewing it as a significant period of growth and education, despite the associated pain and suffering.
Najar's move to the Netherlands signifies a rebirth and the beginning of a new chapter in his life, where he has managed to rebuild and find love.
He considers writing not just a personal pleasure but a means of survival and a way to live fully, with a commitment to sharing his work with a broader audience.
The act of writing is seen as a way to preserve and share personal memories, experiences, and emotions, with the aspiration to turn these into stories, articles, and novels.
Najar expresses a desire to reconnect with his younger self, reassuring him that his stories will be told and that his identity as an "alchemist of words" will be honored.
He invites readers to follow his work on Medium and Twitter and encourages them to subscribe for unlimited access to his and other authors' articles.

About Me — Subhi Najar

The Alchemist of Words

The teacher asked the 10-year-old kid, “When you add the letters together, what will you get?”

“ words”

“ And when do you combine the words with each other?”

“I’ll get alchemy,” he said. The teacher thought the kid’s answer was inappropriate and the kid himself was too arrogant and boastful.

It was the singular “sin” of that kid to know that alchemy was converting cheap metals into gold and building something more complex from simple components. Thus, he saw composing sentences as an act of beauty and alchemy.

For a while, the teacher and classmates mocked him, calling him “the alchemist of words”. It was those who mistreated and bullied that kid who gave him the most precious gift ever. Without knowing, they planted in his brain and heart all the seeds of persistence required to deserve that precious name.

That kid was me, and I am still that kid.

I was born on a springy day at dawn. My Kurdish mother called me Subhi, which means man of the morning. I have been described as an early bird ever since.

In Damascus, I was born and there I attended three schools: life, beauty, and books.

The three versions of myself: The kid, the teenager, and the adult were busy with writing: poems, stories, diaries, and when not writing, thinking of metaphors.

When the Syrian war began in 2011, I had a successful career and a stable life, but like everyone, I had to receive my share of pain. Despite going through a lot and witnessing tremendous pain, war and pain itself were also great schools for me.

I am a War Survivor

When The Hands of Death Opened the Doors of Different Life

medium.com

When I was out of the fields of jasmine of Damascus, I needed to end up in a country with a “culture” of flowers. No place was better than the land of tulips. After moving to the Netherlands, I had to re-establish my life from scratch. Time helped to cure some wounds although the scars are there though invisible mostly.

Life started to smile again and I finally found the secret of all secrets by crossing paths with the woman of my dreams. Like a storm, it just happened. That fantastic moment came late, but I believe beautiful things are worth the wait.

Throughout my life, in war and peace, under the sun of July or the rains of February, a notebook and a pen (or pencil) or/and my laptop have been always my best friends. I wrote in the past to enjoy and now I write to enjoy but also to survive and live.

Writing is a magnificent perfume bottle that you can enjoy personally as a writer and that is what I did for years. Eventually, I learned that the journey of perfume shouldn’t be limited to just writers. The words need to have their own journey to reach new spaces, ears, hearts, and souls.

Accordingly, the passion grows steadily and the dreams increase to turn all those experiences into sharable pages, stories, and even novels. This might come late, but I believe again beautiful things are worth the wait.

My life has been a product of spring, morning, pain, fire books, memories, and love. Over the years, I was busy and still trying to find that 10-year-old kid to whisper in his ears and tell him: “ Don't worry…. I share so many stories, I will write a lot, and more importantly, I feel increasingly an alchemist of words. This might come late, but I believe again beautiful things are worth the wait.”

Subhi Najar is an Alchemist of words, Little Prince, Public Speaker, storyteller, content Creator, and war survivor.

Kindly follow me on Medium & Twitter

If you like my work, please subscribe here! Also, medium permits you to read 3 articles per month for free. If you wish to have unlimited access to my articles and thousands of great articles, don’t hesitate to get a membership for 5$ per month by clicking my referral link: https://medium.com/@subhinajar/membership