Announcing the winners of First Chapter - The ELF Seddiqi Writers' Fellowship
Ten writers hand-picked for mentorship programme with internationally published authors
Dubai, 7 February 2022: The first recipients of First Chapter, the ELF Seddiqi Writers’ Fellowship were announced today at a special ceremony at the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature. The ten winners were selected from the 120 applicants writing in Arabic and English by their prospective mentors, internationally published authors Mark Billingham, Yrsa Siggurdottir, Patrick Gale, Ali Sparkes, Shobhaa De, Greg Mosse, Annabel Kantaria, Shahad Al Rawi, Taleb Al Refai and Najwa Bin Shatwan.
The first global standard mentorship programme in the region for aspiring writers, it was launched by the Emirates Literature Foundation in partnership with Seddiqi Holding to identify and nurture emerging writing talent from the UAE, enabling the successful participants to hone their skills through one-to-one sessions with the authors.
The winners are:
Moxie Anderson chosen by Mark Billingham
Sara Hamdan chosen by Yrsa Siggurdottir
Yi-Hwa Hanna chosen by Patrick Gale
Mustafa Alrawi chosen by Ali Sparkes
Zana Bonafe chosen by Shobhaa De
Reem Hameed chosen by Greg Mosse
Kate Tindle chosen by Annabel Kantaria
Arabic
Huda Al Rawajfa chosen by Shahad Al Rawi
Mona Al Ali chosen by Taleb Al Refai
Sara Al Abdullah chosen by Najwa Bin Shatwan
“We knew that there was an amazing pool of talent in the region, but we were really astonished by the extremely high calibre of the submissions. Each winner was hand-picked by their mentor, chosen by them because they could see their potential and felt they would be able to help them reach it,” said Ahlam Bolooki, Festival Director of the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature. “It means that some very accomplished writers were not selected, although they are of a publishable standard, and we are intending to put some classes in place to help this group too. For those who have been chosen for the Fellowship, this really is a golden opportunity, a dream come true and we are grateful to Seddiqi for partnering with us in helping us create this unrivalled initiative to enhance the writing scene in the UAE.”
The mentorship programme will be amplified by a regular series of workshops, meetups and talks from experts spanning the whole of the industry and encompassing all stages of writing, publishing and promoting a book. The programme will also provide introductions to international agents, editors and publishers and access to short writing classes from international partner writing institutions, such as Gotham Writers Workshop and the Faber Academy.
“We are delighted to partner with Emirates Literature Foundation and establish a platform that is the first of its kind in the region. Inspired by an idea to propel and advocate for literary talent from our region globally, we are thrilled to commemorate the beginning of this chapter and witness the forthcoming journeys of each winner. The extraordinary talent witnessed via the entries submitted; is a testament to the potential that exists in our region, and we look forward to inspiring other aspiring writers in the future. Seddiqi Holding remains committed to pioneering initiatives that preserve and develop the cultural industry and we look forward to working closely with Emirates Literature Foundation to further strengthen the programme.” said Hind Abdul Hamied Seddiqi, Chief Marketing & Communications Officer, Seddiqi Holding.
Seddiqi Holding has agreed to partner with the Emirates Literature Foundation for five years, with the aim that the Fellowship will create a notable pool of authors based in the UAE, with audiences all over the world.
Home >> Education and Learning Section
Dubai Municipality opens registration for fourth season of Farmers' Market
Union Coop Announces 'Winter Campaign' with 4 Exclusive Promotions
The fitness trends you need to know about and how to take advantage of them duri ...
Dubai Cares, DP World enhance learning spaces for over 1,500 students at Umm Al ...
Rotana Promotes Timur Ilgaz To New Area General Manager For Dubai & Northern Emi ...
Arab Health to celebrate 50th edition in 2025
Wizz air abu dhabi inaugurates its first flight to chisinau, an undiscovered gem
Transform your kitchen with the stylish subtlety of lg's premium built-in applia ...
In conjunction with Zayed and Rashid campaign and to celebrate UAE Flag Day Moh ...
Samer Alkhaldi Appointed as Regional Head of Middle East at HFM
Dubai Health Authority's NABIDH Connects Over 9.47 Million Patient Records and ...
Could use a vacation right now: Elsa Pataky and Chris Hemsworth Partner with Exp ...
Minister of Economy highlights advancements in UAE's business landscape at Gatew ...
Dubai Customs and DP World Sign Agreement to Accelerate Digital Transformation a ...
Africa Debate – UAE explores trade and investment opportunities in UAE and Afric ...
The DFSA fines Vedas International Marketing Management for Unauthorised and Mis ...
IATA and ASA Strengthen Cooperation
Emirates returns to Edinburgh with a daily service
Hitachi Energy showcases innovations for grid resilience and digital transformat ...
Thermax to highlight advanced clean air, clean energy, and clean water solution ...