UAE- Novelist poet wins maiden mentorship programme

Date

3/3/2016 12:09:02 AM

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times)

Emirati novelist-poet Shahd Thani has won the first mentorship programme of the Emirates Literature Foundation.

The programme was open exclusively to female Emiratis who write about the UAE in English.

Thani will now be working closely with award-winning fiction writer Liz Fenwick to complete her novel Just Another Emirati Love Story and pitch it to literary agents and publishers.

The two other finalists Shaima Al Shamsi and Roudha Al Shehhi will also be guided by Fenwick despite not winning the mentorship.

"This is a tremendous opportunity for Shahd and the foundation is grateful to Liz Fenwick for sencouraging the next generation of writers in the country" said Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum Chairman of the Emirates Literature Foundation.

"The entries have been of an extremely high calibre and the future looks bright for these young Emirati novelists. In the Year of Reading we hope initiatives such as this will continue to cultivate the literary scene in the UAE and inspire a love for reading and writing" he added.

Fenwick noted that choosing the top three finalists was no easy task. "I chose my top three and set some questions that would tell me where they were in the writing process. From their answers I made my final selection" Fenwick said.

Thani has written two serialised novels on her personal blog and is a member of Untitled Chapters - a community of female Emirati writers - where she mentors aspiring young writers.

"Thani's story Just Another Emirati Love Story first captured me with the title. It showed humour and instantly intrigued me" Fenwick added.

"I felt I was being given an insight into a world that was unknown to me yet was familiar too because we all search for love."

The other two entries also displayed considerable talent.

"This programme's objective appealed to my friends and me as it was aimed at female Emirati writers who want to be given a platform to grow into their full potential" Thani said of her win.

All three finalists have been invited to meet Fenwick at the 'Tea & Tales' event at the 2016 Emirates Airline Festival of Literature where they will also have the chance to meet other writers.

Thani who has already finished the first draft of her novel will now meet with Fenwick to begin the process of turning her work into a prepared manuscript that can be sent to agents and publishers.

Top three finalists their entries

> Shahd Thani : Just Another Emirati Love Story

> Shaima Al Shamsi : A Place called Heera

> Roudha Al Shehhi : Desertful - Reaching From the Past

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