African and Emirati writers highlight role of language

The second edition of the Sharjah Festival of African Literature hosted a panel discussion titled “Echoes of Our Tongues” which examined the role of language in preserving memory and building cultural bridges.

The session explored how books move between languages, carrying with them layers of history, imagination, and identity as they travel across borders.

The discussion brought together Tanzanian writer Daulat Abdalla Said and Emirati writer Salha Obaid, and was moderated by Dr Huda Al Shamsi. Together, the speakers considered language as both a vessel of culture and a medium of dialogue, linking the past to the present while shaping future narratives.

During the session, Salha Obaid reflected on the origins of storytelling, noting that human narratives were first shared orally, with writing emerging as a natural extension of this tradition.

She highlighted that Arabic oral storytelling is rooted in a literary heritage shaped over centuries, distinguished by its depth, richness, and expressive presence.

Salha Obaid explained that her writing draws on Emirati oral heritage, from proverbs and family stories shared by grandparents to forgotten words that once lived unconsciously in memory before resurfacing in written form.

She described this inheritance as a bridge between generations, making family memory more vivid.

For Obaid, the deliberate use of place-specific language and stories affirms identity and anchors the text in a clear sense of belonging.

She noted that her narratives often begin with personal and family history before intersecting with the wider history of the place and its people, revisiting the worlds of the sea, pearl diving, folk legends, and the imagination that shaped earlier generations.

Obaid stressed the importance of returning to imagination in a contemporary world driven by logic, as a way to blend lived reality with histories shaped by dreams, fears, and inherited memory.

She also highlighted a strong sense of responsibility towards the text from its earliest idea, whether in choosing a setting or portraying contemporary Emirati characters as continuations of past figures.

Writing, she said, is a means of opening dialogue, inviting readers to encounter Emirati lives in their full emotional and intellectual complexity, beyond stereotypes.

Tanzanian writer Daulat Abdalla Said contrasted this with the immediacy of oral storytelling, which unfolds before a live audience and demands constant attention to listeners’ reactions.

Audience engagement, she explained, becomes part of the narrative itself, shaping its rhythm and delivery.

Writing, by contrast, develops without immediate feedback, but modern digital tools now allow writers to integrate sound, movement, and multimedia elements, bringing written storytelling closer to the spirit of oral narration.

She added that advances in digital platforms and artificial intelligence have expanded the expressive possibilities available to writers today.

The festival also hosted a conversation centred on The Bad Immigrant by Nigerian author Sefi Atta, a collection of short stories examining migration, identity, and belonging.

Through an interactive exchange with the audience, Atta reflected on themes of alienation, urban life, and cultural adaptation that shape the book, illustrating how literature can illuminate the personal and societal dimensions of African experiences while resonating with readers across cultures.

The Sharjah Festival of African Literature (SFAL) is currently in its second year.

This unique cultural event is becoming increasingly popular in the Gulf and throughout the Arab world.

The Sharjah Book Authority organises the festival, which is all about African literature, and it runs until Jan.18.

It brings together well-known African and Emirati writers, fostering an exchange that honours Africa’s creative imagination while strengthening links between African and Arab cultures.