Member Handbook
Everything a new member needs to know, in eleven pages.
Dated Monday, September 28
A LETTER FROM THE FOUNDER
Welcome.
You are now part of the Society of Arts and Letters. We started SAL because this campus is full of people who write in the margins of their notebooks, sing on the bus, sketch in lectures and read on their phones at midnight, and there was nowhere to bring all of that together.
SAL is that place. You do not need to be a writer, an actor or an artist to belong here. You only need to be curious. Some of our best members come to listen, some come to argue, and some come because a friend dragged them to a Bad Poetry Night and they never left.
Everything we do is free, in Arabic and English, and open to every student. We have a Constitution now, and elections, and a Council, because we want this Society to be here long after the people who started it have graduated. That means it will one day be yours to run.
Come to a Majlis. Type your six words on the typewriter. Tell us what you want to make. We will help you make it.
Shaheen Farjo
Founder & President, Society of Arts and Letters
What SAL Is
A student society that exists to cultivate a culture of literature and creative expression across AUIB.
Connecting students
From every college, into one room and onto one page.
Fostering creativity
Deadlines, editors and stages that turn drafts into finished work.
Celebrating culture
Arabic and English side by side; Iraqi writing next to world writing.
Building a community
A society people stay in, and come back to.
OUR MOTTO
والقرطاسُ والقلم · The paper and the pen
From al-Mutanabbi, the Abbasid poet whose name the book street of Baghdad carries.
What We Do
Four big programmes and a rhythm of small ones. The Term Card lists this semester’s dates.
Waraq
Our bilingual literary journal (working title). Submit, or join the masthead.
Side Quest
Our campus video series (working title). Be a guest, or join the crew.
Second Chapter
Every fall: donate books, volunteer at the fair, keep a child warm.
Typewriter Tour
Every spring: six words, one typewriter, the whole campus.
The Majlis
Monthly salon: a guest, readings, tea, conversation.
Open Pages
Writing workshops with editors on hand.
Book Circle
One book a month, Arabic and English in turn.
Scratch Night
Try a scene, a poem or a sketch. No pressure.
Bad Poetry Night
The worst poem at AUIB wins. Really.
Motion Night
A literary debate once a term.
Gallery Wall
Your art and photography, on the wall.
The Mutanabbi Walk
A trip to Baghdad’s book street (with approval).
Joining
Membership is free and open to every AUIB student. There is no audition, no portfolio and no fee.
1 · Register
Fill in the registration form (scan the QR on any SAL poster, or ask at any event). Sign the Member Pledge.
2 · Join The Common Room
Our Telegram channel, where reminders and room changes go first. Follow @auibsal too.
3 · Come to two things
Any two Society activities in a semester make you a Voting Member: you can vote in elections and stand for office.
| YOU ARE A… | IF YOU… | YOU CAN… |
|---|---|---|
| Member | have registered | take part in everything, pitch ideas, apply for roles |
| Voting Member | took part in two activities this or last semester | also vote and stand for election |
| Fellow | gave outstanding service, named by the Council | keep the title for life; your name in the Book of Fellows |
| Honorary Member | are faculty, staff, an alumnus or a guest artist honoured by the Council | join us as a friend and guest (no vote) |
| Alumni Member | have graduated | come back to Charter Night and mentor |
Our Traditions
Small rituals that make a society feel like one. Anyone can join in.
Six words
Every new member types six words on the Society Typewriter. The page goes into the Book of Members, forever.
The Founders’ Roll
The names of those who adopted the Constitution on Charter Day, October 13, 2026.
Charter Night
Every October, our anniversary: readings, the year’s new members, and cake.
The Term Card
Each semester’s programme on one printed card. Keep it in your wallet.
The Ribbon
Every April the outgoing President gives the new President a fresh ribbon for the typewriter.
Tea at the Majlis
There is always tea. Faculty come as readers, not lecturers.
Your first month
Register · join The Common Room · type your six words · come to a Majlis with your buddy · tell us after your second event what you would like to do here.
Getting Involved
Take a role
Twice a year we run an Open Call for every role: directors, coordinators, the Waraq masthead, the Side Quest crew, event volunteers. Anyone can apply, member or not. Team roles start with a three-week Apprenticeship: one real task, one mentor, then a free choice.
Stand for election
Every April, Voting Members elect the President, Vice President, General Secretary and Treasurer. Candidates read a six-word vision at the Candidates’ Reading.
Volunteer for one evening
Every event needs hands. Tell the Volunteer Coordinator; hours are logged and count towards a certificate and a Fellowship.
Pitch an idea
Want to run a poetry slam, a film night, a translation workshop? Any member can pitch a programme.
- Fill in the one-page Programme Pitch (F-10)
- Say which pillar it serves and who will help you
- Send it to the director closest to your idea
- They bring it to the Council within two meetings
- If it is greenlit, you lead it, with a budget and support
If the answer is “not yet”, you will get the reasons in writing and what would change them.
Recognition
Credit
Your name in the programme, the masthead or the credits of anything you worked on.
Certificate of service
For every role completed, signed by the President and the Faculty Advisor.
Fellowship
For forty hours of service in a year, leading a programme, or exceptional work.
Our Promises
What we promise you
- Everything is free, or has a free way to take part
- Arabic and English are both welcome, everywhere
- Your work stays yours; we credit you by name
- No photo of you goes online if you said no. Ask and it comes down within 24 hours
- Your data is seen only by those who need it and deleted after you leave
- Every dinar is counted twice and reported
- You can raise a concern without fear, and you will be answered within 14 days
What we ask of you
- Treat everyone with courtesy
- Critique the work, never the person
- Respect consent, on camera and on the page
- Keep confidential what is confidential
- Keep your word, or say early that you cannot
- No alcohol, drugs or weapons at Society activities
- Leave every room better than you found it
If something is wrong, tell any officer, our Faculty Advisor or the Office of Student Life, in person or with the concern form. Harassment, safety and anything involving a child go straight to Student Life. The full rules are in the Policy Manual; the short version is the Member Pledge you signed.
Our Society is non-partisan and non-sectarian. Your writing and art can explore anything human. The Society itself takes no side in party or sect.
Questions
Do I need to be good at writing?
No. You need to be curious. Half our members come to listen.
Is it only in English?
No. Arabic and English stand on equal footing in everything we do.
How much time does it take?
As much as you like. A member can come once a month; a coordinator gives two or three hours a week.
I’m in engineering / business / IT. Is this for me?
Yes. We need designers, treasurers, filmmakers, organisers and readers from every college.
Can I submit to Waraq if I’m on the team?
Yes, blind and never to a section you read or edit. Waraq’s guidelines have the details.
Who runs SAL?
A Council of four elected officers and six directors, answerable to all members through the General Assembly.
How do I leave?
Tell the Director of Membership. You can always come back.
Instagram @auibsal · Telegram The Common Room · Email [Society AUIB email]