For every Emirati who is nursing the ambition of becoming a novelist, a great opportunity now makes its debut. The Dubai International Programme for Writing is set to launch its first phase in September. The programme, which was announced last year by the Mohammad Bin Rashid Foundation (MBRF), aims to nurture grassroots fecundity of literary expression among young Emirati and Arab writers who are based in the UAE. A five-year programme with three phases, the initiative involves training aspiring writers under the tutelage of eminent Arab authors through long-term partnerships and what distinguishes this programme is that it is designed to deliver concrete results for aspiring writers.
Upon completion of each phase of the training, the works of the trainees will be edited, designed, published and distributed, an outcome that will lead to a visibly enriched literary growth for the UAE. The country already offers a diversity of platforms to promote creative expression such as the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, Emirates Airlines Festival of Literature and the Sharjah Book Fair. With the addition of the Dubai Programme for Writing, the imminence of a rich yield from the Emirati literary soil has just announced itself.
