Recognising Emirati writers

“The Emirates Novel Awards will introduce the work of Emirati writers to a growing audience while encouraging others to contribute to the UAE’s literary history...This initiative will also help enable talented Emirati writers share their creativity with the rest of the world,” said CEO of twofour54 Noura Al Kaabi.

A judging panel will shortlist three books in each of the ‘Best Novel’ (minimum of 40,000 words) and ‘Best Short Novel’ (between 17,000 and 40,000 words) categories, and these books will be featured at the upcoming Sharjah International Book Fair in November. The shortlisted novels will be announced online, allowing the general public to vote for their favourite. For the ‘Special Writer Award’, the individuals nominated in this category will be chosen based on the influence their work has had on the UAE’s culture and literature this past year. All winners will be announced during a ceremony that will be held later this year.

The initiative is under the patronage of Shaikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Foreign Minister and Chairman of the National Media Council (NMC).

“This exceptional award programme is the first-of-its-kind in the UAE. The award serves to encourage, recognise, and promote talented Emirati writers. Initiatives such as this underpin Abu Dhabi’s commitment towards preserving and raising awareness of the UAE’s rich culture through literary projects,” secretary general of the Emirates Novel Awards Jamal Al Shehhi said.

With the launch of the awards, a series of creative writing workshops, seminars and forums aimed at polishing writing skills relevant to different genres will be hosted by professional writers. A campaign on how reading and writing can further contribute to local literacy programmes across the region will also be held.

olivia@khaleejtimes.com