Dubai Culture Reveals Full Programme for 11th Reading Box Initiative

Event Overview

The initiative features more than 30 interactive workshops and over 45 events, including panel discussions, conversations and poetry evenings, covering topics from traditional poetry to the evolving landscape of writing and content creation in the digital age.

Key Sessions and Discussions

One of the highlighted sessions, titled “Writer or Content Creator?”, examines the differences between literary writing and digital content creation.

Two sessions will focus on the project “UAE: People and Legacy”, which documents the lives and contributions of prominent Emirati figures and looks at how art and writing preserve personal stories for future generations. The first, moderated by Eiman Al Hammadi, Director of the Literature and Knowledge Department at Dubai Culture, features artists Aisha Obaid Al Marashda and Fatima Al Ameri discussing visual art’s role in documenting stories. The second brings together Dr Abdullah Al Sharhan and writer Badriya Al Shamsi to explore how writing captures personal experiences, milestones and achievements and conveys their wider social significance.

The session “Who Stole the Artist’s Voice?” will see poet and novelist Dareen Shabir joined by artist and engineer Dr Ali Al Zuwailif, with media professional Samia Ayesh moderating a discussion on poetry, music and technology, including AI’s potential to bring poetry to life through song, drawing on the Nagham project that features a virtual Arab character combining vocal expression with performance.

Poetry enthusiasts can also attend “Al Asam Rectangle: A Home for Poetry”, which will host Emirati poet Ahmed Al Asam and writer Nasser Al Bakr Al Zaabi.

The “Digital Media” session will include poet and writer Taif Al Sharari, journalist and content creator Eyad Mohammed, and content creator Ahmed Rashdan, moderated by media professional Doudja Benfredj, examining digital platforms’ influence on content creation and society, the challenges faced by practitioners and the opportunities technology offers for storytelling and audience engagement.

In another session moderated by Tamreez Inam, writer and Emirati heritage researcher Dr Ahmed Al Khoori will discuss his book Where The Sand Never Settles, which recalls everyday life in the 1950s and traces Abu Dhabi’s development over subsequent decades, offering insights into the UAE’s social, cultural and urban history.

“When a Writer Becomes an Ambassador” will explore literature’s role in connecting cultures through a discussion featuring poet and researcher Dr Afra Atiq and writers Eman Al Yousuf and Salha Obaid, moderated by Marwa Melhem, Arabic Programme Manager at the Emirates Literature Foundation, looking at how writers represent their countries’ cultures and identities at international events and how literary works convey human experiences and introduce Emirati and Arab cultural achievements to global audiences.

Writing, translation and adaptation will also be prominent, with the session “Who Owns the Text After Translation?” bringing together Dr Latifa Al Haj, Dr Ghanem Al Samarrai and Dr Faisal Al Suwaidi for a discussion moderated by Esra Al Mulla on the relationship between authors and translators, fidelity to the original text and the freedom to reinterpret literary works.

The session “Novel or Film: Who Wins the Story?” will explore the relationship between literature and cinema with director Nahla Al Fahad and screenwriter Mohammed Hassan, moderated by writer and media professional Hamad Al Riyami, considering how literary storytelling translates to the screen and how adaptations preserve the spirit of their source material.

Activities for Children and Families

Children and families can join storytelling sessions, interactive workshops and educational activities led by children’s authors, including Dr Reem Al Gurg, Nadia Al Najjar and Eman Al Yousuf.