Young people interested in writing were encouraged to turn their reading habits, personal experiences and ideas into their own stories during a session at the Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) 2026.
The session, titled ‘The Writer and the Pen’, brought together writer and consultant Dr Rashid Al Ali and Emirati sisters Reem Adel Al Zarouni and Dana Adel Al Zarouni, the UAE’s Arab Reading Challenge champions for 2025 and 2026 respectively.
They shared advice on developing writing skills, finding inspiration and using reading to build vocabulary, creativity and confidence.
Why reading is important for aspiring writers
Dr Al Ali highlighted the importance of reading as the foundation of good writing, explaining that it helps aspiring authors develop their vocabulary, discover new ideas and organise their thoughts.
“Reading is like inhaling, and writing is like exhaling,” he said. “The more we read, the more we strengthen the words and ideas we can use in our writing.”
He also shared his experience of becoming an author, explaining that his writing journey began with sharing quotations and reflections on social media before he published his first book in 2016.
However, he said maintaining creativity and offering readers something new with every publication can be more challenging than writing a first book.
“The challenge is not the first book. The challenge is what comes next,” he said. “With every new book, you have to offer something different and continue developing as a writer.”
Emirati reading champions encourage young people to write
Reem Al Zarouni, the UAE’s Arab Reading Challenge champion in 2025, encouraged young people to recognise that everyone has the potential to write.
She said personal experiences, ambitions and ideas can all provide inspiration, adding that writing is not limited to people with particular talents or backgrounds.
Her sister Dana, who became the UAE’s Arab Reading Challenge champion in 2026, shared how reading and watching someone close to her write helped inspire her own creative journey.
She explained that the idea for her novel came before its characters, developing from her belief in the power of a single word.
“A word can put out a fire,” she said, describing how this idea became the starting point for her story and its characters.
Sharjah Book Fair brings young readers closer to writing
The session aimed to encourage young readers to see themselves as potential authors and explore how their ideas could develop into stories and books.
It opened with an introduction by Reem Jasim Al Hamr and was moderated by Abdullah Al Dhahouri.
tanvir@dubainewsweek.com
