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'Authors should write more about their own cultures'

Sharjah - Both Al Zarouni and Lovell have written highly acclaimed, culture-inspired books.

Today's age of multiculturalism is a massive opportunity for authors to write more about their cultures - in fact, it is a chance they shouldn't miss, two authors said during a panel discussion at this year's Sharjah Children's Reading Festival. 
Mariam Al Zarouni - an Emirati author of books for young adults and a teacher for 13 years - said that even while welcoming other cultures, she believed authors should not shy away from writing about their own. 
"You cannot merge cultural identities. Cultures should be nurtured because they are your identity. Negating your culture will rob you of your cultural identity. We can accept other cultures, learn from them and even borrow from them. But our own culture will remain our unifying factor," said Al Zarouni. 
Ruby Lovell, a British citizen of Sri Lankan descent, shared the same sentiment, saying that writing about one's culture was as important as writing an interesting story. For her, it was the only way to keep it alive for the next generations. "But yes, writers need to write about other cultures too," she said. 
Both Al Zarouni and Lovell have written highly acclaimed, culture-inspired books. 
Al Zarouni, who authored the book 'Letter from Harvard', finds cultural inspiration straight from her experiences and her encounters with people. 
"As a child, I knew a British national who worked in the UAE Army for many years. He wore the kandoura and when he retired, he chose to stay on in the UAE because he had integrated so much into our society. 
"He even donated one of his kidneys to an Emirati friend. That was one of the incidents that influenced me and gave me the idea of integrating our culture in my books," she said. 
Lovell, on the other hand, said she began writing precisely because she wanted her children to know about the Sri Lankan culture, which they experienced only on occasional visits to her home country.
"While shopping for books for them, I found that there was nothing that interested both of us. That started me on my writing career, and I thought of using my books to teach them about the Sri Lankan culture that they found quaint," said Lovell. 
afkarali@khaleejtimes.com