Top 5 Emerging Writers in the UAE
In recent years, the gust for literature has reached a new peak with a remarkable flow of creativity and revolution. The latest generation of writers is helping to make this change by portraying the cultural landscape in their masterpieces. These emerging voices not only reflect the difficulties of Emirati life but also engage with global themes through new and unique viewpoints.
Starting from poetry that explores deep cultural roots to fiction that explores modern identities. These five emerging writers are working at the head of literary glory in the UAE. Their work portrays local literature and gaining popularity on international forums, marketing them as influential voices in the future.
5 Top Emerging Writers in the Emirates
The literature of the UAE is undergoing a transformation that new talented writers support. The country is full of rich cultural heritage and rapidly evolving modernity, and these writers are offering new perspectives and innovative storytelling that captivates audiences outside the country’s boundaries.
Let’s check some of the details of these top writers and how their work is creating a remarkable position in global literary dialogue.
1. Reem Al-Kamali
Reem Al-Kamali is a novelist, writer, and researcher who was born in UAE in 1972. She is inclined towards heritage and ancient languages. Kamali completed her high school education in Dubai. Later she earned a diploma in social studies from Al-Ain Scientific College, followed by a Bachelor’s in History from Beirut.
Her passion for writing made her work as a columnist in Emirati newspapers from 1996-2000. Later, she opted for the job of editor, editing political and cultural columns from 2001 to 2008. She has been working at Al-Bayan newspaper since 2008 and as the newspaper’s librarian since 2015. Reem’s writing made her popular around the world. She received rewards for her novel Sultanate of Hormuz in 2015, and Dalma Statue in 2018. Moreover, her novel Rose’s Diary was shortlisted for the 2022 Sheikh Zayed Prize as the best book in the 2022 International Prize for Arabic Fiction (IPAF). This was the first time that an Emirati novelist was shortlisted for IPAF.
2. Khalid Albudoor
Khalid Albudoor is an Arabic poet who was born and raised in Dubai. He is considered one of the most important names in modern UAE poetry. He completed his education in mass communication while staying in Dubai and later moved to the United States to complete his master’s in scriptwriting. He began his career by publishing poetry in 1980 and has worked actively in his community, helping to establish the Emirati Writers Union and participating in different poetry festivals held within the UAE and abroad. He received a reward from Al-Khal Poetry for his first collection of poetry ‘Night’ in 1992. Till now, he has published six poetry collections.
Since 1988, Albudoor has been working as a researcher and documentary film writer portraying the cultural heritage of the United Arab Emirates. As he holds a master’s degree from the United States, his documentaries and television programs have received awards and recognition both locally and internationally. Currently, he is working as a freelance researcher, writer, life coach, and cultural advisor at Hamdan Heritage Centre in Dubai.
3. Sultan Al Amimi
Mr. Ameemi is an Emirati writer, who was born in Al Dhaid in 1947. He has published his 19 books based on 14 studies of popular culture in the UAE, 2 collections of short stories, and 2 novels. For the past seven years, he has been a judge of the Million’s Poet Contest. In 2014, he became part of the Nadwa workshop for talented young writers that the International Prize for Arabic Fiction ran. Here, he began working on his novel’ One Room Is Not Enough’. Currently, he is working as the director of the Abu Dhabi Poetry Academy and writes a weekly column on cultural matters that is published in the Al-Emarat Al-Youm newspaper.
4. Shamma Al Bastaki
Al Bastaki was born in 1996 and is an Emirati poet and artist from Dubai. She completed her master’s from Harvard University and a bachelor’s degree from New York University in Abu Dhabi. She completed her diplomatic training and earned a PgD in Diplomacy and International Relations in 2021. She is the ambassador for the Louvre Abu Dhabi. Moreover, she won the recipient of the award for her writing and art at the Abu Dhabi Festival of Visual Arts in 2016. She co-founded several literary networks, including JARA Collective and United Chapters, and is a member of the Cultural Office Women’s Creative Network.
In 2019, she won the ADMAF Creativity Award for her poetry collection, which was published in the Asymptote Journal and taught at universities in Japan, Taiwan, and the US. In addition to showing her talent as a poet, she is also a visual artist and was nominated as part of the Salama Bint Hamdan Emerging Artists Fellowship. Her final sculpture, photography, and film installation was exhibited at the Warehouse 421. As she completed her graduation from Harvard, she also served on the board of the Harvard Arab Student Association as Cultural Chair for two years. Her thesis won the Best Thesis Award at the Harvard Center for Middle Eastern Studies.
5. Mohammad Al Murr
Mohammad Ahmed Mohammad Al Murr Al Falasi was born in 1955 in Dubai. He is a short-story writer. His work includes over 15 published volumes of short stories and has two collections translated into English. When education is encountered, Al Murr graduated from the United States and has been a member of several UAE academic institutions and Councils. He is also the Head of the Dubai Cultural Council, which is recently known as the Dubai Culture and Art Authority. In 2011, he was appointed as a representative of the Emirate of Dubai and elected as speaker. He served as the speaker from 2011-2015.
He used his years of experience and study in literature, culture, poetry, Arabic calligraphy, and art in its various forms. Al Murr introduced various cultural projects like the Etihad Museum, Dubai Opera, and many others, and a magazine that focuses on Arabic Calligraphy.
The final words
As the UAE’s literature is continuously flourishing, these writers are emerging as names that shape the future of the country. Their unique characteristic of storytelling and diverse perspectives not only enrich the cultural ideas of the UAE but also gain popularity on a global scale. Their unique voices and compelling narratives have paved the way for a new era in literature. New literary landscapes are explored with expanded traditional boundaries. The rise of these writers on global platforms has promised a vibrant and dynamic future for Emirati literature, making it an exciting time for readers and literary enthusiasts to come on the same page.
