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I Who Have Always Felt Words: Poems
Not yet published
Expected 5 Jan 27In "I Who Have Always Felt Words" Pushcart Prize-nominated poet Shams Alkamil gives a platform to the weight of silence. This collection pays homage to the violent and healing experiences Muslim womanhood, the ties that bind the Sudanese diaspora, the oscillation of religious dissonance, and the ongoing genocide in Sudan.
Inspired from her own life and the lives of generations before her, Alkamil wrestles with violence, doubt, love, patriarchy, and religious subservience – asking: When are words enough, and when do they fall short?
Moving fluidly across time and memory, "I Who Have Always Felt Words" considers imagined futures and remembered pasts: one where Sudan was never occupied, and one that begins with a namesake:
[Then write a poem about yourself.]
[Make it scorch our eyes, or we’ll strip your name.]
Inspired from her own life and the lives of generations before her, Alkamil wrestles with violence, doubt, love, patriarchy, and religious subservience – asking: When are words enough, and when do they fall short?
Moving fluidly across time and memory, "I Who Have Always Felt Words" considers imagined futures and remembered pasts: one where Sudan was never occupied, and one that begins with a namesake:
[Then write a poem about yourself.]
[Make it scorch our eyes, or we’ll strip your name.]
96 pages, Paperback
Expected publication January 5, 2027
About the author
Shams Alkamil
3 books12 followersShams Alkamil is a Black Muslim poet based in Dallas, Texas. Alkamil began writing as a mode of self-expression to then being a 3 time Pushcart Prize-nominee. Her debut book "West 24th Street" highlights the anchor a location has on lived experiences. Alkamil speaks of her struggles with queerness, self-love, and the immigrant experience.
Her work has appeared internationally in Rowayat, Ghost City Press, Four Way Review, Mizna, The Ana, Ruth Weiss Foundation, Tofu Ink Arts Press, Writer Con, Poet’s Choice, and more. In 2025, Alkamil was listed as a finalist for the Sundress Light Bill Incubator Microgrant.
Alkamil's second book "When Time is Circular" is a meditation on the different homes we encounter in life.
Her work has appeared internationally in Rowayat, Ghost City Press, Four Way Review, Mizna, The Ana, Ruth Weiss Foundation, Tofu Ink Arts Press, Writer Con, Poet’s Choice, and more. In 2025, Alkamil was listed as a finalist for the Sundress Light Bill Incubator Microgrant.
Alkamil's second book "When Time is Circular" is a meditation on the different homes we encounter in life.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
September 25, 2025
I Who Have Always Felt Words starts off with a bang, and does not relent. Shams Alkamil’s poetry is intimately personal and intensely vulnerable—balancing a sharp line between being solely about her own family, history, and experience while also connecting brutally and honestly with each reader. Poems like “La Vie En Rose” and “The Woman’s Anaphora” draw on collective experiences and bring forth personal fears, uniting the poet and the reader and splintering each by confronting us with our own thoughts. Others like “Madalyn,” “Re: My Dead Triplet Siblings,” and “To The Daughter I Almost Had” are intensely personal, but bring in theirs of family, grief, and connection that relate to us all. Alkamil’s own history is sown within each line, raw and loud and honest—yet she also manages to call on her Muslim readers, and those that are immigrants, Black daughters, sisters, friends, Sudani, women, and more and more in certain poems, drawing together the intersectionality of each individual identity across a collection of beautifully written poetry. All to say, there is something in here for everyone. You will relate to many of these works, and in those you cannot connect to, you will find challenge and confrontation, so that you may learn and reflect.
July 25, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and Central Avenue Publishing for providing me with an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
Shams Alkamil offers a heartfelt look at what it’s like to grow up Sudanese and Muslim while navigating body image, colorism, and identity. I appreciated the vulnerability in her writing and the way she explores experiences that aren’t often represented in poetry.
The collection also introduces readers to several different poetic forms, which I enjoyed experiencing. However, I found myself getting lost between poems and often wasn’t sure where one ended and the next began. Clearer formatting or more distinct formatting between poems would have made the collection easier to follow.
I also think a glossary of Islamic terms would be a helpful addition for readers from different faith backgrounds, making the cultural references more accessible without taking away from the authenticity of the work.
Overall, I appreciated the themes and intention behind this collection more than the reading experience itself. While there were several poems that resonated with me, the overall flow made it difficult for me to stay fully engaged.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ (3/5)
Shams Alkamil offers a heartfelt look at what it’s like to grow up Sudanese and Muslim while navigating body image, colorism, and identity. I appreciated the vulnerability in her writing and the way she explores experiences that aren’t often represented in poetry.
The collection also introduces readers to several different poetic forms, which I enjoyed experiencing. However, I found myself getting lost between poems and often wasn’t sure where one ended and the next began. Clearer formatting or more distinct formatting between poems would have made the collection easier to follow.
I also think a glossary of Islamic terms would be a helpful addition for readers from different faith backgrounds, making the cultural references more accessible without taking away from the authenticity of the work.
Overall, I appreciated the themes and intention behind this collection more than the reading experience itself. While there were several poems that resonated with me, the overall flow made it difficult for me to stay fully engaged.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ (3/5)
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Terima kasih NetGalley, Central Avenue Publishing dan Shams Alkamil untuk e-ARC nya!
Jujur, ini bisa dibilang buku puisi yang juga berisikan esai. Hampir setiap kata yang dituliskan oleh penulis benar-benar tersampaikan kepadaku. Aku suka banget dengan beberapa chapter, seperti "La Vie en Rose", "In Feminism, F is for Fat - Part 1 & 2", dan "Backstitch". Aku ikut sedih, terharu dan relate dengan apa yang ditulis. Yang menarik lagi dari buku ini adalah setiap bagiannya akan diawali dengan kalimat yang berasal dari Al-Quran.
Banyak tema atau topik yang dibahas, mulai dari budaya Sudan yang membentuk pola pikir dan kehidupan mereka, feminis, pengalaman hidup penulis (terutama relasinya bersama orang tuanya-ayah dan ibu), peranan ayah dalam hidupnya, spiritualitas (Muslim), dan politik. Ini sangat menarik dan cerdas. Tapi jujur saja, ada beberapa chapter yang aku kurang pahami karena struktur penulisannya.
Sebagai pembaca non-Muslim, aku jadi tahu terkait beberapa kosakata yang lazim digunakan oleh umat Muslim. Buku ini juga memperkaya pengetahuanku terkait bagaimana kebudayaan Sundan dan bagaimana kehidupan seorang Sudan (terutama wanita).
Tapi secara keseluruhan, buku ini aku rekomendasikan untuk kalian yang suka membaca kumpulan puisi dan esai, untuk kalian yang suka tulisan yang jujur dan straigthforward, serta untuk kalian yang suka topik kebudayaan.
----ENG TRANSLATION----
Thank you to NetGalley, Central Avenue Publishing, and Shams Alkamil for the e-ARC!
Honestly, this is basically a book of poetry that also includes essays (IMO). Almost every word the author wrote really resonated with me. I absolutely loved several chapters, such as “La Vie en Rose,” “In Feminism, F is for Fat—Part 1 & 2,” and “Backstitch.” I felt sad, emotional, and related to what was written. Another interesting aspect of this book is that each section begins with a verse from the Quran.
Many themes and topics are discussed, such as Sudanese culture (which shapes their mindset and way of life), feminism, the author’s life experiences (especially her relationship with her parents), her father’s role in her life, spirituality (as a Muslim), and politics. It’s incredibly fascinating and insightful. But to be honest, there were a few sections that I didn’t fully understand because of the way they were structured.
As a non-Muslim reader, I’ve learned about some vocabulary commonly used by Muslims. This book has also enriched my understanding of Sudanese culture and the lives of Sudanese people (especially women).
Overall, I recommend this book to those of you who enjoy reading collections of poetry and essays, to those of you who appreciate honest and straightforward writing, and to those of you interested in cultural topics.
Jujur, ini bisa dibilang buku puisi yang juga berisikan esai. Hampir setiap kata yang dituliskan oleh penulis benar-benar tersampaikan kepadaku. Aku suka banget dengan beberapa chapter, seperti "La Vie en Rose", "In Feminism, F is for Fat - Part 1 & 2", dan "Backstitch". Aku ikut sedih, terharu dan relate dengan apa yang ditulis. Yang menarik lagi dari buku ini adalah setiap bagiannya akan diawali dengan kalimat yang berasal dari Al-Quran.
Banyak tema atau topik yang dibahas, mulai dari budaya Sudan yang membentuk pola pikir dan kehidupan mereka, feminis, pengalaman hidup penulis (terutama relasinya bersama orang tuanya-ayah dan ibu), peranan ayah dalam hidupnya, spiritualitas (Muslim), dan politik. Ini sangat menarik dan cerdas. Tapi jujur saja, ada beberapa chapter yang aku kurang pahami karena struktur penulisannya.
Sebagai pembaca non-Muslim, aku jadi tahu terkait beberapa kosakata yang lazim digunakan oleh umat Muslim. Buku ini juga memperkaya pengetahuanku terkait bagaimana kebudayaan Sundan dan bagaimana kehidupan seorang Sudan (terutama wanita).
Tapi secara keseluruhan, buku ini aku rekomendasikan untuk kalian yang suka membaca kumpulan puisi dan esai, untuk kalian yang suka tulisan yang jujur dan straigthforward, serta untuk kalian yang suka topik kebudayaan.
----ENG TRANSLATION----
Thank you to NetGalley, Central Avenue Publishing, and Shams Alkamil for the e-ARC!
Honestly, this is basically a book of poetry that also includes essays (IMO). Almost every word the author wrote really resonated with me. I absolutely loved several chapters, such as “La Vie en Rose,” “In Feminism, F is for Fat—Part 1 & 2,” and “Backstitch.” I felt sad, emotional, and related to what was written. Another interesting aspect of this book is that each section begins with a verse from the Quran.
Many themes and topics are discussed, such as Sudanese culture (which shapes their mindset and way of life), feminism, the author’s life experiences (especially her relationship with her parents), her father’s role in her life, spirituality (as a Muslim), and politics. It’s incredibly fascinating and insightful. But to be honest, there were a few sections that I didn’t fully understand because of the way they were structured.
As a non-Muslim reader, I’ve learned about some vocabulary commonly used by Muslims. This book has also enriched my understanding of Sudanese culture and the lives of Sudanese people (especially women).
Overall, I recommend this book to those of you who enjoy reading collections of poetry and essays, to those of you who appreciate honest and straightforward writing, and to those of you interested in cultural topics.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
*Thank you to Netgalley, Central Avenue Publishing, and Shams Alkamil for this ARC in exchange for an honest review*
If I could just stop crying long enough to write this review.
I finished this collection feeling like I’d just been trusted with someone’s soul. I don’t think I’ll ever have the words to explain what it felt like to read it, but I’m going to try.
As someone who isn’t a Black woman but is a hapa woman of Polynesian descent, this felt like such an important read. It gave me a glimpse into the life, identity, and inner world of a Sudanese American woman in a way that felt so incredibly intimate.
These poems brought me to tears more than once. How someone pulls thoughts and feelings like that out of their mind and onto paper, I’ll never know. But Shams Alkamil does it beautifully and without apology. That was my favorite part- the unapologetic honesty of Alkamil’s experience.
They tackle identity, grief, political injustice, family, faith, feminism, fatphobia, and belonging in a way that felt almost like reading someone else’s stream of consciousness… except somehow it also felt like my own anxious brain staring back at me.
The poems about body image and our inner voice hit especially hard. That constant self-deprecation so many of us carry around, the shame we convince ourselves belongs only to us, and then the slow, deliberate act of fighting back against it. There’s something incredibly liberating about seeing those thoughts laid bare and realizing how universal they really are.
This collection is honest and raw in ways so many authors seem afraid to be. Shams doesn’t soften the edges or make herself more palatable. She tells the truth as she lived it, and I think that’s exactly what makes this collection so powerful.
If I could just stop crying long enough to write this review.
I finished this collection feeling like I’d just been trusted with someone’s soul. I don’t think I’ll ever have the words to explain what it felt like to read it, but I’m going to try.
As someone who isn’t a Black woman but is a hapa woman of Polynesian descent, this felt like such an important read. It gave me a glimpse into the life, identity, and inner world of a Sudanese American woman in a way that felt so incredibly intimate.
These poems brought me to tears more than once. How someone pulls thoughts and feelings like that out of their mind and onto paper, I’ll never know. But Shams Alkamil does it beautifully and without apology. That was my favorite part- the unapologetic honesty of Alkamil’s experience.
They tackle identity, grief, political injustice, family, faith, feminism, fatphobia, and belonging in a way that felt almost like reading someone else’s stream of consciousness… except somehow it also felt like my own anxious brain staring back at me.
The poems about body image and our inner voice hit especially hard. That constant self-deprecation so many of us carry around, the shame we convince ourselves belongs only to us, and then the slow, deliberate act of fighting back against it. There’s something incredibly liberating about seeing those thoughts laid bare and realizing how universal they really are.
This collection is honest and raw in ways so many authors seem afraid to be. Shams doesn’t soften the edges or make herself more palatable. She tells the truth as she lived it, and I think that’s exactly what makes this collection so powerful.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I was so close between four and five stars for this book. It's really, really good.
I'd say that the author and I don't share much in terms of cultural similarity, but she was able to make her experiences much more real to me through her poems.
Her poetry was well thought out, using poetic devices and structures that make it clear she's well read and a thoughtful writer---which stands out in a world full of poetry books full of trite, cliche poems. There is nothing trite or cliche about Shams Alkamil's poetry.
"In Feminism, F is for Fat" Parts 1 and 2 were very evocative poems contrasting weight loss and weight gain and how that can be perceived with the speaker's mother and her illness.
"The Woman's Anaphora" and "Before What It Actually Feels Like" use repetition masterfully, highlighting her sharp, evocative imagery.
"I Who Have Always Felt Words", the poem which gave its name to the book, is another favorite.
This book is for anyone who cares about thoughtful poetry, who is interested in multiculturalism and the effect on people. I firmly recommend it.
Note for people with a non-Muslim background: it can help you to understand the poems if you at least know some common words/concepts in Islam, like "Jannah" (heaven), "Shaytan" (Satan), "duaa" (a type of prayer where you are asking for something from God) and some others.
I'd say that the author and I don't share much in terms of cultural similarity, but she was able to make her experiences much more real to me through her poems.
Her poetry was well thought out, using poetic devices and structures that make it clear she's well read and a thoughtful writer---which stands out in a world full of poetry books full of trite, cliche poems. There is nothing trite or cliche about Shams Alkamil's poetry.
"In Feminism, F is for Fat" Parts 1 and 2 were very evocative poems contrasting weight loss and weight gain and how that can be perceived with the speaker's mother and her illness.
"The Woman's Anaphora" and "Before What It Actually Feels Like" use repetition masterfully, highlighting her sharp, evocative imagery.
"I Who Have Always Felt Words", the poem which gave its name to the book, is another favorite.
This book is for anyone who cares about thoughtful poetry, who is interested in multiculturalism and the effect on people. I firmly recommend it.
Note for people with a non-Muslim background: it can help you to understand the poems if you at least know some common words/concepts in Islam, like "Jannah" (heaven), "Shaytan" (Satan), "duaa" (a type of prayer where you are asking for something from God) and some others.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Sealey Challenge 2026: 31/31
I feel rather split about this one mainly because it's a mix of a poetry collection and some kind of prose pieces, but more essays in my opinion. I found that the essay-like parts really disrupted the flow of the poems which made it hard for these to be really emotionally impactful. This felt more like a collection of general ruminations on key moments in the poet's life which is of course interesting. I did enjoy many of the actual poems! Yet, there was no flow between poems and pieces. It all felt very disjointed and I just wish it had been a bit more thoughtfully organized.
Thank you to the publisher, Central Avenue Publishing, for an E-ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions shared in this review are my own!
I feel rather split about this one mainly because it's a mix of a poetry collection and some kind of prose pieces, but more essays in my opinion. I found that the essay-like parts really disrupted the flow of the poems which made it hard for these to be really emotionally impactful. This felt more like a collection of general ruminations on key moments in the poet's life which is of course interesting. I did enjoy many of the actual poems! Yet, there was no flow between poems and pieces. It all felt very disjointed and I just wish it had been a bit more thoughtfully organized.
Thank you to the publisher, Central Avenue Publishing, for an E-ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions shared in this review are my own!
August 10, 2026
I received an arc of I Who Have Always Felt Words through NetGalley. The thoughts and opinions are my own.
The poetic elements and essays feel somewhat disjointed, which makes it difficult to find a consistent rhythm throughout the collection.
While individual pieces may have moments of insight or beauty, there is a disconnect. This disconnect leaves me without a clear sense of how they contribute to a larger intention. I found myself searching for a stronger golden thread but it never quite came into focus.
If fragmentation is the purpose, then great. But it did not leave me satisfied.
The poetic elements and essays feel somewhat disjointed, which makes it difficult to find a consistent rhythm throughout the collection.
While individual pieces may have moments of insight or beauty, there is a disconnect. This disconnect leaves me without a clear sense of how they contribute to a larger intention. I found myself searching for a stronger golden thread but it never quite came into focus.
If fragmentation is the purpose, then great. But it did not leave me satisfied.
July 27, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley Central Avenue Publishing for providing me with an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.
“I Who Have Always Felt Words” is an urgent and deeply felt collection of poems from Sudanese-American writer Shams Alkamil.
Shams’ writing is accessible and vibrant, written from an honest and true place. This short collection can be read (devoured!) in a single sitting and is very cohesive. I recommend this collection to readers who enjoy poems that explore cultural and religious identity and womanhood.
“I Who Have Always Felt Words” is an urgent and deeply felt collection of poems from Sudanese-American writer Shams Alkamil.
Shams’ writing is accessible and vibrant, written from an honest and true place. This short collection can be read (devoured!) in a single sitting and is very cohesive. I recommend this collection to readers who enjoy poems that explore cultural and religious identity and womanhood.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I had received the ARC for this wonderful book from NetGalley and this is my unbiased review!!
Rather than Poems, I would say it felt more like the author was pouring their heart out with texts more like essays. And def something, I enjoyed reading about. The book talks about how being a Sudanese shaped them, how being an immigrant shaped them, how being a Muslim shaped them. It also talks about their relationship dynamic with their father and their kids. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Like the title of the book, I genuinely could feel the words!
Rather than Poems, I would say it felt more like the author was pouring their heart out with texts more like essays. And def something, I enjoyed reading about. The book talks about how being a Sudanese shaped them, how being an immigrant shaped them, how being a Muslim shaped them. It also talks about their relationship dynamic with their father and their kids. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Like the title of the book, I genuinely could feel the words!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I enjoyed this read! First I have to mention, I love the title and cover. It has a very compelling prose (although I need to admit, some bits made my pea brain very confused), it touched super interesting topics (I particularly adored the spiritual ones), it's intelligent and witty at times, and there's very very relatable stuff in here. I enjoyed this collection and would like to read more by the author. It was a very heartfelt collection of poems and some of them really resonated with me!
Thank you NetGalley and the Publisher for this eARC! This was my honest and unbiased opinion.
Thank you NetGalley and the Publisher for this eARC! This was my honest and unbiased opinion.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews