The Mohammed Bin Rashid Library will host the Epistolary Literature Forum on September 1 and 2, bringing together writers, researchers, and cultural practitioners to examine the enduring role of letters in literature. The programme will explore correspondence as both a literary art form and a record of human relationships, emotions and intellectual exchange.
Through panel discussions, research, and creative workshops, the forum will trace epistolary literature across Arab and global cultures. In addition, it will examine notable literary correspondence and the ways letters preserve private perspectives within broader cultural histories.
Letters Across Arab Literary Heritage
The forum will open with a short film, followed by a welcome address and a research presentation titled Epistolary Literature in Emirati Culture. The paper will examine letters within the UAE’s cultural memory, including their various forms and roles in expressing social, intellectual, and personal relationships.
In collaboration with the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre, another session will focus on Abu al-Ala al-Ma’arri. Titled Epistolary Writing in the Works of Abu al-Ala al-Ma’arri: Reflections on Humanity and Existence, the discussion will consider his correspondence and the philosophical and human questions contained within his letters.
Meanwhile, Writers’ Letters: A Private Space Between Art and Creativity will examine correspondence as an intimate literary form. The programme will also feature Al-Jahiz’s Letters: Literature, Thought, and the Art of Arabic Letter-Writing, highlighting the importance of letters within Arab literary heritage.
From Literary Friendship to Digital Communication
Day two expands the discussion across languages and literary traditions. The Russian-language session, “When Writers Write to One Another: Friendships That Shaped Literature,” will explore creative relationships formed through correspondence and their influence on literary dialogue.
The English-language session Letters in the Age of Speed: Has the Form Changed, or the Essence? will turn to digital communication. It will consider whether contemporary technologies have fundamentally altered the essence of letter-writing or simply transformed its format and medium.
A French-language session, From Guilleragues’ Portuguese Letters to Autofiction: Intimacy Ahead of Its Time, or When Fiction Invents Sincerity, will examine The Portuguese Letters and its influence on personal confession, contemporary fiction and autofiction. Consequently, the discussion will position epistolary writing as a continuing space for self-discovery.
The forum will also feature a two-day creative workshop titled The Letter Lab. Participants will develop writing skills while exploring techniques of expression, text construction, and creative practice.
Simultaneous interpretation will be available throughout the sessions, allowing audiences from different linguistic backgrounds to engage with the programme.
Ultimately, the Epistolary Literature Forum reflects the Mohammed Bin Rashid Library’s commitment to cultural programming that encourages dialogue across disciplines, languages and generations. By examining letters as both literature and communication, the event highlights their continuing relevance in an increasingly digital culture.
Those interested in literature, writing, and culture can register for the forum and its activities through the official event registration page.
