Sharjah: Three established writers discussed their beginnings and how they become professional writers in a seminar at the Sharjah International Book Fair on Thursday.
The seminar was moderated by Egyptian presenter Dina Qandil.
Renowned Palestinian writer Mahmoud Shuqer writes books for both adults and children. He has 49 books, six television series and four plays to his credit. His work has been translated into many languages and he has received many awards. He spoke to the audience about living in exile and how when he returned to Palestine in 1993, his ability to write long-form narratives returned.
“While I was away from my home, I could only write very short stories because they don’t really require a lot of location. It’s just a slice of life. When I returned, I started to work on longer narration projects,” Shuqer said.
He talked about his satirical writing and how it allowed him to explore different themes. Shuqer said that the most important thing to keep in mind is to write daily, making it a habit.
“When that happens, the writer can write at any time,” he said, adding that to be a professional writer means to think about your writing every day.
Canadian writer Terry Fallis, the award-winning author of five bestselling novels, spoke about his professional writing career.
Hailing from a public relations background, Fallis said that at the age of 45, he decided to expand into comedy writing. “You need to be disciplined and make time for writing. Books don’t just write themselves,” he said. Emirati author Fatima Al Mazroui said that diversifying her writing has been key. When it comes to the major influences of her writing career, Fatima said that her grandmother played an important role.
“She used to always tell me stories that I would invent the endings to,” Al Mazroui said. Other influences include her school library and a professor who told her she could never been writer.
