EMIRATI AUTHORS NOURA AL NOMAN, SULTAN AL AMIMI CALL FOR BETTER EVALUATION AND CRITICAL APPRECIATION TO GROOM NEW WRITERS
There is no dearth of opportunities for new Emirati novelists and authors as there is a growing demand for fiction in the country and novel is one of the most popular literary genres among young readers. However, new writers need to be put through exacting tests by good critics and editors to refine their skills.
This came at the final session of Sharjah Ramadan Majlis held Thursday at Al Majaz Amphitheatre on the future of modern Arabic novel.
Speaking on the occasion, Noura Al Noman, popular Emirati science fiction writer and Director of the Executive Office of HH Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, said: When you have a country like UAE that encourages literature, writing and exchange of ideas and cultures, it creates great avenues and opportunities for writers.
She said that the Emirati fiction is at a strategic turning point right now and there are enough opportunities. However, what is missing is the right education and training for new writers. We also need good editors, as editing plays a huge role in refining writing and bringing out the best in a particular work of fiction. We need to focus on this, she added saying there are not many opportunities to teach good editing skills and training in the UAE.
There are many young and promising writers in the country. However, their talent needs to be honed and nurtured with good criticism and evaluation, she said, lamenting that there is no concept of healthy criticism in the UAE.
Whatever gets written gets published by newspapers and publishers without critical evaluation and without judging whether it's good or bad. Most young writers in the country do not understand the concept of critical evaluation and do not like criticism. They do not know that a novel requires a plot and structure. We need to focus on these aspects if we are to see a qualitative improvement in Emirati fiction, Noura Al Noman asserted.
Underscoring the importance of healthy criticism for good literature, she said writing is like cooking. If you do not honestly tell a cook how bad or good is his/her dish is, you are likely to be treated to the same dish again and again, she added.
She lamented the fact that there is not much scope for competition among writers in the UAE, saying just like in any other field, competition is essential and brings out the best in writers. Competition helps us improve and excel, she added.
Sultan Al Amimi, eminent Emirati author and Director of the Academy of Arabic Poetry in Abu Dhabi, agreed with her saying the UAE offers plenty of opportunities to new writers with its numerous publishers and book fairs etc. The number of writers have multiplied over the past few years in the country.
The future for Emirati fiction is bright. There is a future for modern, popular fiction. Current generation of writers are expected to inspire their readers in tune with contemporary Arab fiction, he said.
Al Amimi also called for spreading greater awareness about the role of critics and critical appreciation in refining and polishing a work. He pointed out that most prominent writers today have their own dedicated editors. If you do not accept criticism, you cannot really grow as a writer, he emphasised.
Explaining the creative process and underlining the importance of constant effort for improvement, he said: When an author writes first draft, its gets reviewed at least five or six times before it goes to publishers and has to be reviewed again by critics and peers.
He said fair criticism is essential for Emirati fiction to grow and bloom. If an author only expects praise, he will never grow as a writer, he emphasised.
Al Amimi also regretted the fact that criticism is not valued much in the UAE and universities do not teach courses like literary criticism and editing skills.
The speakers also touched upon the importance of using the classic Arabic parables and stories in modern fiction as the UAE is home to a treasure trove of such historical legends and stories.
Al Amimi pointed out that many television series in the West are based on such popular legends. One such classic parable was narrated by an Emirati woman on the occasion to the delight of the audience.
Noura Al Noman, who remains a pioneer of science fiction in the UAE, regretted that while there is no dearth of ambitious young writers, many write even before doing their share of reading.
The final session of the Ramadan Majlis was presided over by Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Chairman of Sharjah Media Council. The last session was moderated by Reem Saif, presenter and host of Sharjah TV. The Ramadan Majlis sessions were co-hosted by the Sharjah Government Media Bureau and Sharjah Media Corporation as part of the Emirate's efforts to promote a culture of dialogue and understanding in the country.
The Sharjah Ramadan Majlis every year attracts top UAE ministers, officials, scholars and intellectuals and a select audience turning the spotlight on issues and challenges before the society.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
15/11/2026
Can VideoProc AI Really Reduce Noise and Enhance Blurry, Old Footage? Real-World...
14/11/2026
Longtime MLB Network employee David Maybrown passed away Thursday at the age of 57. David joined MLB Network in 2009 shortly after its launch, beginning as an i...
14/11/2026
Modular innovators introduce two guitar-based products
ADDAC System's recently introduced Four String Series makes it possible to integrate physical str...
14/11/2026
Marcelo Dai's Live Session Captured with URSA Cine Immersive
Brie Clayton November 14, 2026
0 Comments
Artist takes viewers on an immersive journe...
14/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
14/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
14/11/2026
Newest Lenses, Horizon Anamorphic Seminar & Guided Lens Character Experience Highlight Creative Possibilities
At the 2026 Toru CAMERIMAGE Film Festival, ZEISS...
14/11/2026
Sonnet Announces Black Friday Sale on Select Products
Brie Clayton November 14, 2026
0 Comments
WHAT: Sonnet Technologies is having a sale on a select...
14/11/2026
Berklee Alumni Shine at the 2026 Latin Grammy Awards This year's winners included songwriters, engineers, and performers who contributed to acclaimed reco...
13/11/2026
The UIM E1 Series wraps its third season this week with the Bombay Sapphire E1 Miami GP, Nov. 11-14, on Biscayne Bay at the Miami Seaplane Base on Watson Island...
13/11/2026
In-venue and creative video staffers at the professional and collegiate level ha...
13/11/2026
Singer-songwriter Benson Boone will headline entertainment for the Discover NHL Winter Classic between the Utah Mammoth and Colorado Avalanche at Rice-Eccles St...
13/11/2026
Blackmagic Design has announced the Blackmagic Ambisonic Microphone, a 7th order ambisonic microphone array that captures spatial audio for immersive video prod...
13/11/2026
SMPTE has announced that The Studio B&H and Riedel Communications will provide the video infrastructure and communications technology for the Solutions Hub at t...
13/11/2026
The Hollywood Professional Association (HPA) has announced the theme and program focus for the 2027 HPA Tech Retreat, which takes place Feb. 14-18, 2027, in La ...
13/11/2026
Football Manager 27 Touch is available on Apple Arcade starting today. The game ...
13/11/2026
MotoGP has announced a two-year media rights agreement with ESPN covering the Un...
13/11/2026
Apple Sports, the free iPhone app, has added the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) to its lineup of supported sports, in time for Saturday's UFC 334. The...
13/11/2026
The NBA and Fanatics Studios, the joint venture between Fanatics and entertainme...
13/11/2026
ESPN held its annual EDGE Innovation Conference last night and offered up an ove...
13/11/2026
Regional sports network gives Ithaca College, SUNY Cortland students a platform to thrive
One of the biggest games in Division III college football will be pla...
13/11/2026
Studer-inspired 500-series PWM compressor unveiled
The HLabs range already includes a couple of Studer-inspired offerings in the form of the PRE169 and EQ16...
13/11/2026
Download Now!
To view the white paper, please enter the following details:
--
First Name* First Name
Company*
Country* Please select your countryA...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Blue Lucy, the workflow orchestration and integration platform for broadcasters, rights owners and localisation companies, today announced an integration with c...
13/11/2026
Krotos announces Black Friday offers on Studio Pro and Studio Max
Brie Clayton November 12, 2026
0 Comments
First-year annual plans start at US$195.99...
13/11/2026
Blackmagic Design Announces Blackmagic Ambisonic Microphone
Brie Clayton November 12, 2026
0 Comments
New 7th order ambisonic microphone with 108 MEMS...
13/11/2026
Meet the Berklee Student Setting Planetary Motion to Music With his compositional platform SoniKosmos, Javier Roqueni aims to make the universe the ultimate i...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , er...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , er...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Amagi, the media industry cloud company, today announced a partnership with Golden Times Media Technology (stock code 920021.BJ), a Beijing-based media and tech...
13/11/2026
CGI (TSX: GIB.A) (NYSE: GIB), one of the largest independent IT and business consulting services firms in the world, together with its Malaysian partner, Cedar ...
13/11/2026
SMPTE, the home for media professionals, technologists and engineers, today announced that The Studio B&H and Riedel Communications will provide the video infra...
13/11/2026
iWedia, a global leader in connected TV software solutions, will present its software-first approach to DRAM optimization at Android TV APAC Summit 2026 in Bang...
13/11/2026
Beginning today, November 13, Apple HomeView is available for purchase at Apple Store locations, on the Apple Store online, and in the Apple Store app in select...
13/11/2026
From pediatric research to smart hospitals, AI is helping care teams spend less time on routine tasks and more time with patients.
Health systems and startups...
12/11/2026
Industry leaders examine how Dynamic Media Facility, Media eXchange Layer, and c...
12/11/2026
The junior Tar Heel is embracing the technical and creative challenges of live production while emerging as a leader and mentor in the control room...
EMIRATI AUTHORS NOURA AL NOMAN, SULTAN AL AMIMI CALL FOR BETTER EVALUATION AND CRITICAL APPRECIATION TO GROOM NEW WRITERS 
