The first edition of Ta’beer Literary Forum, hosted by Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture) at Mohammed Bin Rashid Library on November 22–23 and featuring leading Emirati writers, intellectuals, and media professionals, received extensive audience participation and engagement.
In his welcoming address, Mohammed Al Habsi, Acting Director of Dubai Culture’s Literature Department, said: “Dubai Culture is pleased to organize this forum as part of our efforts to promote the local literary and cultural movement and increase its activities, further boosting Dubai’s cultural scene and its global position as an incubator for creativity and talented individuals.”
“Ta’beer Literary Forum brings together prominent figures from the fields of literature, thought, poetry, media, and philosophy in the UAE to provide their views on issues in the cultural sector, in addition to their ambitions towards promoting our literary work and enriching our identity. I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to Mohammed Bin Rashid Library’s management for collaborating with Dubai Culture and hosting the Forum’s events, helping us showcase the beauty of culture and literature in the UAE and the Arab World. Undoubtedly, the Library has become a cultural beacon that enriches the local cultural and creative scene in line with Dubai’s ambitions,” Al Habsi added.
As part of its programme, Ta’beer Literary Forum launched the first metaverse literary salon, the second phase of Kuttab Café, which welcomes participants to choose their avatars and attend its events starting next week.
The Forum examined the issues and opportunities to enhance the cultural and literary sectors by hosting unique workshops, seminars, and dialogue sessions featuring highly-eloquent poetry and language exchanges. The events shed light on children’s literature, novels, stories, dramas, scripts, and scholarly articles, as well as broadcasting, podcasts, and cultural content creation. It also discussed the role of reading clubs and the human library, along with the importance of criticism, review, and human studies. The event explored the world of poetry, bringing together literature lovers for a book signing and other activities under one roof.
Movement
The first day kicked off with a philosophical ambiance, where Dr. Ahmed Barqawi, the Dean of the House of Philosophy, and writer Jamal Al-Shehhi, hosted a session titled “What is Philosophical Writing?” Dr. Barqawi said: “The sublimity of philosophy’s ideas means that it provides thought for the sake of others. It offers an abstract expression of the meanings behind reality. This is why the philosopher is firmly attached to reality, with a mission to educate others on how to attain knowledge and improve their thought process.”
Additionally, poet Abdullah Al-Hediya presented the Emirati poetry movement lecture titled ‘From the roots to the fruits,’ while both poet Adel Khuzam and writer Youssef Abu Loz were featured in a discussion entitled ‘The Literary Article, Reality, and Aspirations.’
Khuzam commented: “The literary article embodies the publishing journal’s vision. For many years now, we have seen certain journals publish poetry excerpts in the last pages of their editions.”
Moreover, writer Youssef Abu Loz said, “The literary article, with all its forms, could never fade away. Essentially, it is based on and strongly related to the art of prose, which intensifies the writing impact. The literary article is constantly derived from the rich literary history, which could never be replaced with inanimate technology.”
Mansour Al-Alawi, Hamdan Muhammad, Ali Al-Ustad, and Manal Al-Ghadani hosted the “Accessing the world of fantasy” session. Talal Al-Asmani also shed light on the methods of script writing, and Dr. Saleh Howaidi discussed the “Principles of Literary Criticism” in an academic session. The day was concluded with a poetry evening where poets Aida bin Masoud, Issa Al Balushi, and Najat Al Dhaheri recited some of their poems.
Featuring Waheeb Al Kamali, a writer in the field of management science, the Human Library session focused on creativity. It explored the Arabic literary heritage as an example, along with modern books on creativity and personal development.
Writing Styles
The second day started with a panel discussion on the reality and aspirations of Emirati literature with novelist Reem Al-Kamali and writer Salha Obaid, followed by a session on the methods of political writing by Fahd Al-Mahri and Majid Al-Ali from the Trends Research Center, in addition to a series of reading sessions and interactive workshops organized by the Hudhud Publishing and Distribution House.
Additionally, book signings ceremonies were held for different books, including “Letters in a Different Time” by Nadia Al-Najjar and Noura Al-Khoury, “The Daynoraf” by Hessa Al-Muhairi, “The Star Game” by Afra Mahmoud, “The Dust of Heaven” by Salma Al-Hafiti, and “The Black Widow” by Dirar Al-Hol, in addition to new publications by Eman and Maryam Al-Hashemi.
The forum also hosted several workshops on scriptwriting and literary criticism, which attracted extensive audience participation. Another workshop was held on paper making and restoration for over 20 people of determination, aiming to provide participants with new skill sets.