The Hamad Bin Khalifa University Press (HBKU Press) recently held a creative writing workshop which was opened to the public in an effort to engage the literary community in Qatar.

HBKU Press Senior Editor and author Jameela Sultan Al Mass Al Jassem took participants through the short story writing process while highlighting techniques and mechanisms for producing distinguishable creative works. Participants were then invited to practically apply what they had learned and outline their own stories with immediate feedback and support.

Participants from various backgrounds attended the workshop, organised as part of the HBKU Press community outreach campaign to help promote local literature, literacy, discovery, scholarship and learning.

HBKU Press offers to these workshops to the community in order to cultivate local talent, engage the public, and promote a love of literacy, according to Muneera Al Romaihi, HBKU Press Community Outreach Officer.

Our experts are able to give aspiring local Qatari and Arab authors insight into what makes for a successful piece of literature. By supporting local authors in honing their talents, we are helping to produce more works of literature that are published in Qatar and well-received around the world.’

Al Jassem is an expert in the field of children’s and young adult’s literature, and a former employee of the Supreme Education Council involved in drafting curricula for schools. She led the workshop which was held at the Student Centre in Education City.

As an author published with HBKU Press myself, I have seen first hand how editorial support can help a good writer become a great writer. From the participants here today, it is obvious that there’s a lot of local talent in Qatar and hopefully they learned some important skills that will hone their talents.

HBKU Press plans to host several more literary workshops for various audiences in the future. Visit their website at press.hbku.edu.qa for updates and more information.