(MENAFN- The Peninsula) By Sanaullah Ataullah | The Peninsula
Challenges created by COVID-19 have failed to dent the enthusiasm of authors in Qatar. The Qatari Forum of Authors is holding weekly sessions and cultural activities remotely to encourage writers and promote their valuable literary works, showing that story telling continues even at these testing times.
The Qatari Forum for Authors is a cultural body affiliated to the Ministry of Culture and Sports, which aims at upgrading the cultural level of authors and publishing the works of members in books and periodicals.
The Forum will hold a weekly session remotely through the Microsoft-Teams program, on literary criticism today.
Another session on ‘writer and book' will be held on April 14, while Professor Nasser Al Mughaisib, Director of Tamouh Initiative, will offer on April 15, a training on ‘Cre ativity and Strengthening the National Identity through Writing and Compositions'.
Professor Issa Abdullah will be the guest of the Forum in the session on criticism to discuss his novel ‘Hufratun Fi Kafe Yadi' (a hole in the palm of my hand) on Monday at 6pm, and the session will be moderated by Dr. Abdel Haq Belabed, Professor of literature, critical and comparative studies at Qatar University.
The novel, a hole in the palm of my hand, comprises dramatic chapters covering three sides, the narrator, a diary, thundering dreams and stuttering nightmares.
The novel begins with a dream of a character ‘Faiza' and it has been repeated dozens of times, to cover her life and the lives of those around her.
On Tuesday, at 6pm, a writer and book session will be held with Professor Lina Al Ali to talk about the story of a book ‘Al Kitab Zo Al Arjul' (The Book with Legs) for children.
The session will be moderated by journalist Saleh Gharib, Coordinator of Members Affairs at the Qatari Forum for Authors.
The story revolves around a book which was neglected and remained trapped in the shelves, and covered in dust and spider webs spun around it, and suddenly it heard the sounds of children, balloons and birthday. There was a child with red cheeks and from here the adventure began.
The Qatari Forum for Authors held recently a writer and book session through the Microsoft-Teams program, to discuss the novel ‘Luluwah Hikayat Usturiaya Qatariya' (Lulwah Qatari folk tales) written by the author Hamad Al Tamimi.
The author Al Tamimi said during the session that the idea of writing this novel came to his mind when he was searching for folk novels, as he discovered that many novelists wrote on the character ‘Lulwah' in different ways.
The young Qatari writer emphasised that he was keen that his first writing experience on novel should touch the popular heritage.
He noted that the folk stories touched the reality of the Qatari society in a detailed and profound manner, which led him to give his own touch to the folk stories without compromising their essence.
Al Tamimi stressed that all cultural, geographical, and historical dimensions must be taken into account when writing folk novels, which he did when writing this novel, as he explained and simplified events and vocabulary to reach the novel to the largest number of non-Qatari readers, focusing on the Qatari community culture.
The Qatari Forum for Authors held recently another writer and book session through the Microsoft-Teams program, in which author, Dr. Khaled Abdul Jabbar, was hosted to discuss his book ‘An Easy Guide To Psychiatry', published in English.
Dr. Abdul Jabbar said during the session that this scientific book in the field of psychiatry is a simplified reference for everything related to psychiatry in a logical sequence.
The book has been divided into 20 chapters with a dedicated chapter on psychiatric medications including details in terms of dosages and instructions for use, side effects and other things of interest to the learner and practitioner.
Dr. Abdel Jabbar said that the book contains more than 300 pictures and other valuable things which made the book of great benefit to the targeted groups such as doctors, psychiatrist, and doctors from other specialities.
He said that this academic research book is able to simplify concepts that may be vague for beginners in psychiatry.
He said that the book includes some diseases and mental disorders in the form of a story similar to a panic attack and mania, and put most of the information in the form of questions and answers for further simplification.
Dr. Abdul Jabbar said that it is better to write this research book in English as it is considered a scientific language at present and spoken in most part of the world.
The author said that he is currently translating the book into Arabic to benefit all segments of the society.
Regarding his future projects, the author said that he is currently working to form a psychosocial support team for a specific group that may need assistance.
Dr. Abdul Jabbar gave a set of advice to parents in dealing wit h their children in the current situation in order to avoid them from mental disorders that continue even after the crisis caused by the coronavirus.
He said that there is no need of unnecessary fear or panic because of COVID-19, but the parents must show a good example for their children by facing this crisis bravely.
For her part, Maryam Yassin Al Hammadi, Director General of the Forum, who moderated the session, said that people in Qatar can overcome on such crises with their awareness and solidarity.
The Qatari Forum for Authors also held a remote session during which the panellists discussed the novel Fasl Al Hariq (The Fire Season) written by Qatari author, Omar Al Meer.
The Qatar Authors Forum held a regular weekly writer and book session on March 10, 2020, during which the panelists discussed the book ‘Al Nasq Al Muzmar Fi Al Riwaya Al Watriay' (The Consistent Format in the Qatari Novel) by Professor Mursal Al Dawas, who shed light on the social and cultural dimensions hidden in the Qatari novels.
On March, 8 The Qatari Forum for Authors held a session to mark International Women's Day under the title ‘Women Pioneers Making History' in which a group of female writers participated.
The Qatari Forum for Authors has been carrying its cultural activities as a cultural body affiliated to the Ministry of Culture and Sports concerned with caring authors.
The main objective of the forum is to take care of authors, especially in upgrading the cultural level of authors in accordance with Minister of Culture and Sports Resolution No. (91) of 2018 for establishing the Qatari Forum for Authors.
The objective of the Forum is also to encourage the translation of good content into international languages, and strengthening relations between authors and the Arab and international unions of writers and authors.
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