Dubai's Culture and Arts Authority, Dubai Culture, is organising a series of creative workshops and inspiring dialogues exploring the worlds of the novel and memory throughout July as part of its "Library Talk" initiative, which falls under the "Schools of Life" project. The initiative aims to shed light on the experiences of creative writers and their literary output, deepen their engagement with the public, and contribute to enriching cultural activity and promoting a reading culture among members of society.
This aligns with the authority's commitments to consolidating Dubai's standing as a global cultural hub, an incubator of creativity, and a meeting point for talent.
In this context, the Union Museum will host a panel discussion on 16 July titled "The Novel When It Unsettles History", with the participation of Egyptian writer and novelist Mohamed Samir Nada — winner of the International Prize for Arabic Fiction (the "Arabic Booker") for his novel Salat Al Qalaq (Prayer of Anxiety) — and Emirati writer Saleha Obaid.
The session, moderated by writer Ghaith Al Housni, will discuss the relationship between the novel, memory, history, and imagination, and how human and social questions are transformed into literary works capable of re-reading reality.
This will give the audience the opportunity to learn about the two writers' experiences and their vision in the arts of narrative and writing, as well as the most significant milestones that contributed to shaping their literary projects.
Narrative arts
The initiative's agenda also includes the creative writing workshop "How Do We Write Anxiety?", to be presented by Mohamed Samir Nada from 17 to 19 July at the Union Museum. The workshop, aimed at young writers and those interested in narrative arts and creative writing, will address methods of transforming anxiety, memory, and human questions into impactful literary texts, the mechanics of building a novel and shaping characters, and an exploration of the role of place in narrative and the relationship between reality and fiction.
It will also give participants the opportunity to undertake practical exercises that contribute to honing their creative skills, developing their ideas, and transforming them into more mature and cohesive novelistic projects.
In line with the goals of the "Year of the Family", which aim to strengthen family cohesion and instil values of cooperation and solidarity among members of society, the Union Museum will host an interactive reading session on 20 July, organised by a group of reading clubs, with the participation of novelist Mohamed Samir Nada, to discuss his novel Al Mu'jam Al Sirri Lil Aba' (The Secret Dictionary of Fathers). The session, to be moderated by writer Asmaa Siddiq, will explore the questions the novel raises about family relationships, memory, and human identity, as well as the role of literature in opening new horizons for reflection on societal and human issues and fostering dialogue between generations.