The Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) Press has held a creative writing workshop open to the public in an effort to engage the literary community in Qatar.
During the workshop, HBKU Press senior editor and author Jameela Sultan al-Mass al-Jassem took participants through the short story writing process while highlighting techniques and mechanisms for producing distinguishable creative works. The participants were then invited to practically apply what they had learned and outline their own stories with immediate feedback and support.
Participants from various backgrounds attended the workshop which was organised as a part of HBKU Press’s community outreach campaign to help promote local literature, literacy, discovery, scholarship and learning, a press statement noted.
“HBKU Press offers these workshops to the community in order to cultivate local talent, engage the public and promote a love of literacy,” explained Muneera al-Romaihi, HBKU Press’s Community Outreach officer.
“Our experts are able to give aspiring local Qatari and Arab authors insight into exactly what makes for a successful piece of literature. By supporting local authors in honing their talents we are helping to produce more works of literature that are published in Qatar and well-received around the world.”
Al-Jassem, an expert in the field of children’s and young adult literature and former Supreme Education Council employee once involved in drafting curricula for schools, led the workshop held at the Student Centre in Education City.
“As an author published with HBKU Press myself, I have seen first hand how editorial support can help a good writer become a great writer,” explained al-Jassem. “From the participants here today, it is obvious that there is a lot of local talent in Qatar and hopefully they have learned some important skills that will hone their talents.”
HBKU Press said it plans to host several more literary workshops for various audiences in the future.
