Graduates produced 10 novels following an 8-month training programme
The Emirates Novel Award initiative has celebrated the graduation of the first class to complete its creative training programme, Novelists’ Programme. The programme was launched in 2014 in partnership with twofour54 with the purpose of teaching aspiring Emirati novelists professional writing techniques in workshops held at twofour54 creative lab.
At the ceremony, the Emirates Novel Award will celebrate the 10 novels written by the graduates after completing the 8-month training programme of workshops and lectures. The novels will be launched during Abu Dhabi International Book Fair 2015 being held 7-10 May.
Maryam Al Mheiri, Chief Operating Officer at twofour54, said: “Nurturing Emirati talent is at the heart of twofour54’s strategy. Novelists’ Programme is a great example of our commitment to providing training opportunities to talented creative Emiratis, helping them to polish their skills with guidance from experts in the field of writing and publishing.”
“We are proud to witness this group of enthusiastic Emiratis produce their first novels in just 8 months, this is very impressive. Now the challenge for me will be deciding which one to read first!” she added.
Jamal Al Shehhi, Secretary General of the Emirates Novel Award, said: “The graduation of this group of talented young Emiratis who represent the first class of the Novelists’ Programme is a great step towards advancing the cultural movement in the United Arab Emirates and unveiling our society’s promising talent in literature.”
“The programme has showcased the work of a group of up-and-coming novelists who all share a promising future. I commend our graduating class for their commitment throughout the training programme which was delivered by renowned Arab authors and novelists that have shared their skills and experiences with the students,” he added.
Upon graduation of the training programme, graduates will be able to publish their novels and present them to compete at the Emirates Novel Award. twofour54’s creative lab will work with the graduates to design attractive book covers with the help of 11 graphic designers who are members of the lab.
Trainee novelists will have their biographies posted on creative lab’s digital platform which allows members to post their projects, search for members to collaborate with, and showcase their skills and experiences to recruitment agencies and the public.