Qatar Charity (QC) has received more than 370 entries from the preparatory and secondary schools for boys and girls as part of its grand annual “Future’s Writers” competition.
The competition is a new way for QC to discover and develop young literary talents by selecting, training and honouring short story writers, and publishing and distributing winning stories to the public, it was announced yesterday.
Qatari students make up about 20% of the participants.
QC, through this competition, aims to contribute to the achievement of Qatar National Vision 2030 by providing a range of talent search programmes, preparing a well-educated and cultured generation capable to meet challenges, spreading the culture of reading and developing writing student’s skills, in co-operation with the Ministry of Culture and Sports, the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, Qatar University, Barwa Bank, Qatari Forum For Authors, “Khair Jalees” Book Club, and Dar Roza Publishing.
Ali Ibrahim al-Ghareeb, executive director of the QC’s Local Operations Department, said that community development and service are among main goals of the organisation.
It also seeks to promote and preserve the Arabic language and spread the culture of reading among middle and high school students.
Project manager Maysoun Ali Asida said the entries have been forwarded to the judging committees in order to select the candidates for the second phase of the competition, which is about attending the short story writing workshops conducted by professors from Qatar University and the Arabic Language Committee.
The final groups for the second phase of the programme will be announced on April 4.
The judging committee for boys consists of Dr Ahmed Safar, co-ordinator of the Arabic Language Department at Qatar University; Arabic language expert Hassan al-Nuaimi; Arabic Language Standards Specialist Ahmad al-Dukas; and, Ali al-Rachied, head of the QC’s Content and Publishing Section.
The judging committee for the girls includes Arabic Language Standards Specialist Safinaz al-Hasasneh; Arabic Language Co-ordinator Noor al-Hammadi; Shama al-Kuwari, a novelist and fictionist; and, Dar Roza Publishing chief executive Aisha al-Kuwari.
The first edition of the “Future’s Writers” Programme has achieved many of its objectives and was also praised and promoted by a number of well-known bodies and personalities, including HE the Minister of Culture and Sports Salah bin Ghanem bin Nasser al-Ali.