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Dubai Launches New Award To Inspire Arab Sci-Fi Writers
A total of 12 short stories will be selected-six in Arabic and six in English. The competition will also allow writers from two different age groups to participate: those aged 16 to 20 and those aged 21 to 30.
Announced on Thursday by the Emirates Literature Foundation in partnership with the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC), the award aims to inspire more science fiction writing in Arabic. Speaking at the press conference, the director general of MBRSC Salem Al Marri said that he hopes this will inspire the younger generation to look towards writing in Arabic.
"We want to see what new ideas [the youth] can come up with” Al Marri said, explaining how those ideas can either“turn into reality or inspire engineers and scientists to look at new ways of doing things.” He added that the Arab region lacks science fiction books written in Arabic and hoped this competition would encourage more young writers in the genre.
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"Star Trek and Star Wars inspired me and pushed me to go toward looking at space during my youth," he said, recounting how "when there was an opportunity to work at a space centre and build satellites," he attributed it to his interest in science fiction.
Sultan Al Neyadi, Minister of State of Youth Affairs and the first astronaut from the Arab world to go on an extended space mission and the first Arab to spacewalk, echoed Al Marri's words, saying how science fiction played a big role while he was growing up.
When asked if generative artificial intelligence would be permitted, Al Neyadi said,“We shouldn't restrict the creativity, we should work hand in hand with the technology available. Whatever is delivering the message, I think that is acceptable.” Al Marri added that AI“should be encouraged, but the whole story shouldn't be written using only programmes like ChatGPT.”
Also speaking at the press conference alongside Al Marri and Al Neyadi were Isobel Abulhoul, founder of the Emirates Literature Foundation, and Ahlam Bolooki, CEO of the ELF. Abulhoul said workshops will aid participants in writing a short story, making it inclusive for people of all backgrounds to put their storytelling skills to the test.
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