Book browsing at Emirates Airline Festival of Literature.

Muhammad Yusuf, Features Writer

The first global standard mentorship programme in the region for aspiring writers from the UAE has been launched by the Emirates Literature Foundation (ELF), in partnership with Seddiqi Holding. Called First Chapter, the ELF Seddiqi Writers’ Fellowship will be offered free to successful applicants. It aims to identify and nurture emerging writing talent, elevating it to an international standard and bringing it to global attention.

Writers will gain access throughout the year-long programme to experts in the industry, with one-to-one mentorship from international authors such as top crime writer Mark Billingham; Yrsa Siguroardottir, the Queen of Nordic Noir; Shahad Al Rawi, the youngest writer to ever make the Arabic Booker Prize shortlist and one of Kuwait’s most celebrated writers, Taleb Al Refai.

There are exclusive workshops from a range of master storytellers, including internationally acclaimed authors Ian Rankin and Alexander McCall Smith. The programme will provide introductions to international agents, editors and publishers. Successful applicants can personalise their writing journey with vouchers to take part in short writing classes from global partner writing institutions, such as Gotham Writers Workshop and the Faber Academy.

 Ahlam Bolooki, Festival Director, Emirates Airline Festival of Literature.

“This is a truly unique opportunity - a global-standard mentorship programme - which is a dream for any aspiring writer,” said Ahlam Bolooki, Festival Director of the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature (EAFL), which is held under the auspices of ELF. “Our hope is that over the next five years, this fellowship will create a notable pool of authors based in the UAE, with audiences all over the world. “The writing scene within the UAE and the Arab World is not as developed as it is in many other parts of the world. We know there are many within the region who have fascinating stories to tell, but just need to find their voice, and the right way to tell their stories.” “Seddiqi Holding regards the preservation of Arabic literature and development of the cultural sector as essential to their contribution to society,” said Hind Abdul Hamied Seddiqi, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, Seddiqi Holding.

“Over a period of five years, it aims to strengthen the regional literary community, as part of its legacy. The programme is designed to nurture talent in the UAE and aid in the development of their craft, by connecting them with pillars across the global literary sphere.” There will be ten participants chosen to be part of the inaugural course — a mix of Arabic and English writers. As the project grows, a mutually supportive writing community for alumni will also develop, which will nurture the writers after the programme has been completed, with ongoing support. Each participant will receive six hours one-to-one mentorship. It will be amplified by a regular series of workshops, meetups and talks from experts spanning the industry, encompassing all stages of writing, publishing and promoting a book.

The programme is by selection only. Applications are invited from serious writers who are on their way to completing a novel, but want to get their manuscript done into shape. All genres of fiction are being welcomed. The initiative also wants to discover those with exceptional potential, who may only be at the beginning of their writing journey. Anyone over 18 years of age, who calls the UAE home and will be resident in the UAE for the duration of the programme, may apply. Application is via the online form, and requires a covering letter, a 400-word synopsis of the book and the first 2,000 words of the almost completed manuscript, if one is in process.

Applications opened on November 1, 2021, and close January 2, 2022. Names of successful applicants will be announced at a special event during EAFL 2022. There will be opportunities to pitch to editors and literary agents at the end of the process, but publication or representation is not guaranteed. Successful completion of the course will be certified. For more information and to apply for the Fellowship, visit https://www.elfdubai.org/en/first-chapter-writers-fellowship ELF is a not-for-profit organisation which supports and nurtures the love of literature in the UAE and the region, through cultural initiatives. In line with the National Reading Policy of the UAE, it has implemented several long-term projects, including the School Librarian of the Year Award, Kateb Maktub and From the Inside Out. It also conducts year-round student education programmes, hosts book clubs and creative writing courses.

The Foundation’s previous initiatives included the 2020 International Literary Festivals Conference, 2016 Dubai Translation Conference and the 2017 Dubai International Publishing Conference. EAFL is the UAE’s premier literary festival, and also the Arab World’s largest celebration of the written and spoken word, featuring international and regional writers, poets, thinkers and speakers from around the world. Over the past 13 years, more than 1,700 authors from over one hundred countries have spoken at the Festival. In 2021, the numbers reached more than 117,000 people, in person and via live streaming.

Sessions included Nobel Prize winner Malala, Booker Prize nominees Avni Doshi (Burnt Sugar) and Oyinkan Braithwaite (My Sister the Serial Killer), as well as internationally acclaimed authors Elif Shafak, Amin Maalouf and Lemn Sissay. Behavioural expert Thomas Erikson shared a stage with Sherif Arafa, and the Education Programme featured children’s favourites Ali Sparkes, Obada Takla, Sam Copeland, Isabel Thomas, Sanaa Chabbani, and Ben Baily Smith (Doc Brown). Seddiqi Holding was established in 2007 and operates Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons, the longest standing and largest business unit within the group; Swiss Watch Services and Seddiqi & Sons Investment, which includes Seddiqi Properties and Mizzen. Seddiqi Holding is managed by four generations of the Seddiqi family, supported by a multinational workforce of over 900 employees. The company’s development is built on the foundations laid by the late Ahmed Qasim Seddiqi, its visionary founder.