Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation Publishing (BQFP) and Katara Art Centre will organise a “Historical Novel Writing Workshop” featuring best-selling Qatari author Abdul Aziz al-Mahmoud (pictured) on March 4 and 6.
Al-Mahmoud, known for his best-selling novel Al Qursan, will work with the attendees on how to overcome obstacles that prevent authors from writing historical novels. The workshop will be held at the Katara Art Centre.
“There are many people who wish to write historical novels but are reluctant to do so due to several reasons. The workshop will help them visualise what they want to write and how to achieve it,” al-Mahmoud said.
The author will explain various aspects of writing a best-selling novel. These include identifying the era, researching the historical context, structure and avoiding writer’s block.
“I’ve been through the experience of writing a historical novel. It is not just about writing, but is also about identifying the lives of a group of people in a specific geographical place and in a specific time. You must love history to write it in a form that others will enjoy,” he explained.
