Najwa Zebian

Najwa Zebian is a 3x best-selling author of Mind Platter, The Nectar of Pain, and Sparks of Phoenix. She is also a creator, activist and educator. Drawing on her own experiences of displacement, discrimination, and abuse, Najwa uses her words to encourage others to build a home within themselves; to live, love, and create fearlessly.

Najwa's forthcoming book, Welcome Home: A Poet's Guide to Building a Home For Your Soul, is the answer to the pain we all experience, offering solutions and practical advice on how to end our suffering and start healing.

She began writing as a means to heal her first students, a group of young refugees. Since self-publishing her first collection of poetry and prose in 2016, Najwa has become an inspiration to millions of people worldwide – many of which have chosen to have her words tattooed on their bodies. Her ability to articulate soul-deep feelings is what sets her apart from the rest of the world. That uniqueness coupled with her extensive knowledge on educational pedagogy and teaching in a manner that effectively educates makes her a powerhouse in the field. Through her three books, her podcast (Stories of the Soul) and her own digital school (Soul Academy), she continues to give a voice to countless souls out there aching to be heard.

Her passion for language was evident from a young age, as she delved into Arabic poetry and novels. The search for a home—what Najwa describes as a place where the soul and heart feel at peace—was central to her early years. When she arrived in Canada at the age of sixteen, she felt unstable and adrift in an unfamiliar place. Nevertheless, she completed her education, and went on to become a high school teacher, where she spoke at multiple schools about poetry, diversity, inclusion, education, equity, culture and more. She has a Bachelor in Education, Masters in Education and is currently a Doctorate in Educational Leadership candidate, on leave from teaching.

Since self-publishing her first collection of poetry and prose in 2016, Najwa has become a trailblazing voice for women everywhere – name dropped by the New York Times, The Huffington Post, and CBS News, among others. She has also creatively collaborated with Google, RBC, Kohl's and Cirque du Soleil.