19/09/2026
HI, I’M SAHAR
Researcher. Interpreter. Translator. Instructor.
And, depending on when you ask me, possibly a writer too.
Here’s a little more about me.
I WAS A VERY CURIOUS CHILD
I was basically a mini investigative journalist.
One day I’d be leading the neighbourhood kids in search of the Digimon Portal. The next, I’d be starting my own Detective Conan episode.
My teachers called me curious. And a chatterbox.
Both turned out to be fairly useful.
I LEARNED LANGUAGES THROUGH PLAY
I loved Pokémon, Animal Crossing, hidden-object games and cooking games.
I kept tiny notebooks filled with new words I encountered while playing.
First English. Then Japanese. Then other languages followed.
These days, I speak Arabic, English and French fluently, work with Korean, and can read and understand Turkish and Japanese.
I STUDIED LITERATURE & TRANSLATION
I studied English Language and Literature, followed by an MA and PhD in Translation.
Today, I’m a research fellow working across literature, translation and media.
I’m also an interpreter.
My clients have ranged from Girl Scouts to royal families.
BUT I NEVER STOPPED BEING CURIOUS
I’m ambidextrous.
I still play video games.
I make tiny creatures out of felt.
I love solo cinema dates.
I will go considerably out of my way for good ice cream.
And I may or may not have the cybersecurity skills of an FBI agent.
THEN I FOUND SAHAB
I had just moved to Dubai and wanted to meet people with similar interests.
Then I saw Sahab on Instagram.
Sahar and Sahab are only one letter apart in English, and both have celestial associations in Arabic.
So naturally, I took that as a sign.
I JOINED SAHAB AS A WRITER
I joined the Impact Track and spotted Bluets by Maggie Nelson on the syllabus.
I started talking to Louis about it.
Those conversations became conversations about writing, literature, translation and everything in between.
And somewhere along the way, Sahab became part of my life in Dubai.
THEN I STARTED TEACHING WRITERS
Everyone arrives with a different history, voice and way of seeing.
But underneath it, there is often the same desire:
to be understood.
Writing lets us say:
Here. I trust you with this emotion.
Being allowed to wi
