Women’s voices question labels, boundaries

A panel discussion at the 2nd edition of the Sharjah Festival of African Literature (SFAL 2026) examined the challenges faced by female writers and questioned the validity of categorising creative work as “women’s literature.”

Titled “Women’s Voices in African and Emirati Literature,” the session brought together Rwandan writer Scholastique Mukasonga and Emirati author Nadia Al Najjar, offering perspectives shaped by different cultural and literary contexts.

Moderated by Alya Al Mansouri, the discussion explored authorship, self-imposed boundaries, and the broader pressures writers navigate in a globalised literary landscape.

Asked whether female writers in the UAE face specific challenges, Al Najjar reframed the question. “I wouldn’t describe them as ‘challenges;’ we have the freedom to write. However, we might place limitations on ourselves and confine ourselves to them. For example, when I’m writing for children, I have to be especially conscious of the content, whether it is suitable for their age group,” she said. “The writer himself or herself is the main challenge; writing is a difficult job.”

Responding to a question on whether works by female authors should be described as “women’s literature,” Mukasonga — author of the award-winning novel Our Lady of the Nile — rejected the distinction. “To me, there is no ‘male’ or ‘female’ subject in terms of literature. In my opinion it’s society that creates these differences. We can become what society would like us to become, or be what we want to be,” she said.

Al Najjar offered a complementary perspective, describing literature as “a human art form.”

While she acknowledged the value of the term when it brings attention to specific issues, she stressed its wider reach. “I see no objection to the concept of ‘women’s literature’ since it plays an important role in bringing to light any issues they may have. But literature itself is universal,” she said.

She also highlighted the responsibility Emirati writers carry on the international stage. “Literature is the most beautiful way to introduce us to the world and build bridges. Our stories carry our traditions and help us to reach others and cross cultures, exactly as this festival is doing,” Al Najjar added.

On the fourth day of the festival, SFAL 2026 also hosted a poetry reading session titled Verses Without Borders, featuring Lemn Sissay, Sheikha Al Mutairi, Ayalneh Mulatu Abeje, and Mwanacha Mohamed Omar. Emirati and African poets shared works exploring migration, heritage, and imagination.