Emotional impact key to travel stories, says Emirati content creator

Emirati content creator Dr Hamad Al Jabri has emphasised the value of firsthand experience in travel writing, saying that photographs and digital content cannot fully capture the details and emotions of exploring a place, despite advances in artificial intelligence and social media.

This came during a discussion titled “The Art of Travel Writing”, organised by Sharjah Public Libraries (SPL) under its “Behind the Scenes” pillar at the 45th Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) 2026.

The session took place at Expo Centre Sharjah, where the fair, organised by the Sharjah Book Authority under the theme “Made of Stories”, runs until November 15.

Travel as a source of literary inspiration

Drawing on his travels across several Latin American countries, Al Jabri described how the region's cultural and social diversity encouraged him to explore its communities and heritage in greater depth. His interest gradually evolved from sightseeing as a tourist to researching local traditions and, eventually, to documenting his experiences through travel writing.

The Emirati traveller said he was particularly struck by the cultural and human connections he observed between Latin American and Arab societies, despite the geographical distance separating them. These similarities encouraged him to continue studying the region's cultures and draw on his encounters and observations as material for his writing.

Discussing what distinguishes effective travel writing, Al Jabri emphasised the importance of literary depth and the writer's ability to convey the meaning behind places, events and personal encounters.

He explained that many people may witness and record the same scene, but each writer's interpretation and style determine how the experience is presented. For Al Jabri, the literary value of travel writing lies in drawing out the human significance of such moments and conveying their emotional impact to readers.

He added that travel writers must look beyond geographical descriptions to explore the deeper meaning of their experiences, shaping their observations into narratives that engage readers on an emotional level.

The discussion was held as part of SPL's “Library of Civilisation” programme at SIBF 2026, which features seven cultural events across three pillars: “Book in Focus”, “Behind the Scenes” and “The Big Book Club”.

The programme aims to showcase the role of libraries in preserving knowledge and passing it between generations, while encouraging discussions about books, reading and human and creative experiences.