Through vulnerability, author Najwa Zebian’s words have become a haven for millions navigating the complexities of healing. From her early days as a young teacher guiding refugee students to becoming a globally celebrated voice in prose and poetry, her work aims to expose the façade of modern life. With her upcoming book, The One Who Broke You Can’t Heal You, scheduled for release this month, Zebian reflects on reclaiming personal closure, boundary-setting in a digital world and the quiet power of honouring your own story.
MOJEH: Your poetry and prose have achieved a staggering global reach, resonating with millions. Why do you think your highly personal reflections on pain, vulnerability, and healing strike such a universal chord across different cultures?
Najwa Zebian: Pain has no specific language. It has no specific geographical borders. The pain of wanting to be seen, heard and loved is universal. That’s why my words have unlimited reach. It’s because they speak the language of the soul. I don’t like to be filtered or to pretend to be doing better than I actually am just to project a certain image. My goal with my writing is to be honest and authentic. I genuinely believe every person out there wants nothing more than to be seen for who they really are.
You began writing as a young teacher to help heal and connect with your first students, who were young refugees. How does that foundational experience as an educator continue to influence the guiding nature of your books?
When I first met my students, I was 21 years old and realised in that moment that I hadn’t healed my 16-year-old self. It’s safe to assume that everyone you meet has a version or versions of themselves they haven’t healed. When you look at every human you meet as someone who is struggling with something, it’s a lot easier to connect with them on a human level. My teaching background taught me to look at every student with a clean slate; no assumptions, no judgment and no discrimination, and that’s what I do with my writing. I think every person deserves a fresh start when they are committed to their growth and healing.
Your upcoming book, The One Who Broke You Can’t Heal You, arrives this August. What shifted in your own life or creative journey that made you want to focus on the concept of breaking toxic bonds and reclaiming your own closure?
Once you taste the freedom of not needing the person who hurt you to admit what they did or to apologise, it’s really hard to get back to the version of yourself that used to suffer in silence, waiting for the day they finally say the words out loud that you’ve been wanting to hear.
I realised at one point in my life that I wasn’t living my life for myself. I was living it for the day I was validated by everyone who hurt me. And I was paying a heavy price for that. I now let people stand on their decision to hurt me and live with who they are. live with who I am; an honest, loyal and authentic person.
When you sit down to create, are you primarily drawing from your own lived experiences, or are you inspired by the healing journeys of those around you?
It’s always a dance between the two. Even if I’m inspired to write for someone else, I have to tap into my own feelings that I experienced in my life when I had a similar pain. For example, the pain of betrayal. Who of us has not been betrayed in their life? We might have different stories, but the underlying emotions that come up are the same.
In a world that often pressures us to present a seamless version of our lives, how do you protect your own boundaries while remaining authentic and vulnerable with millions of readers?
You always have to ask yourself, ‘what’s my goal of posting this particular post?’ If you want to project an image that’s fake so you can get an ego boost, it’s important to pause and redirect your energy. Maybe instead of posting to feel better, you sit with the uncomfortable emotions and give them space to be heard. I think my page gives people that opportunity; to pause their scroll and feel their feelings.
I also believe people are tired of seeing perfectly curated pictures. They want to see real life. They want realistic situations, not fairy tales.
What does your ideal writing environment look like? Do you require quiet, or do you draw energy from a bustling space?
I need calm and quiet environments to write, even though the places that push me to write are usually the chaotic, loud ones. Writing is my calm and quiet, actually. It’s what grounds and centers me.
What is a book that changed your perspective and still sticks with you?
The Prophet by Khalil Gibran has always been one of the first books to make me feel so seen and heard at such a young age. Just looking at it makes me feel like I’m okay and enough as I am, that it’s okay to feel too much, think too much and love too much.
What is the best piece of creative advice you’ve ever received?
Don’t try to sell people on your work. You already have a seat at the table.
What message do you hope readers will take away from your latest book?
You have the power in this moment to let go of those who hurt you. You don’t need their apology. You know what you went through. Waiting for your torturer to admit they tortured you is like waiting for the sky to explain to you why it rains one day and is clear on the other. It’s because that’s what skies do. A person who has the capacity to hurt you that way does it because that is who they are. That’s your closure.
