Ajman:The ‘Read. Dream. Create’ campaign (RDC), an initiative of the UAE Board on Books for Young People (UAEBBY) that aims to nurture a new generation of young readers, hosted a cultural discussion with two Emirati authors last Saturday at Ajman Youth Hub. 

The session hosted Badria Al Shamsi and Asma Al Ketbi to discuss their literary project, Khrerifeh Mjerifeh, a collection of Emirati folk stories. The outcome of a collaboration between the UAEBBY and Goethe Institut Gulf-Region, the book was published under the supervision of the Sharjah Institute for Heritage. The title, Khrerifeh Mjerifeh is taken from the term “Khorafa” a word that refers to myths or folk tales in the traditional dialect of the UAE. 

Attended by young members of the Sajaya Young Ladies of Sharjah (SYL), Sharjah Youth and Ajman Youth Hub, the session centred around the importance of literature in preserving Emirati cultural heritage by reviving oral narrative traditions, and emphasised the role of parents and teachers in narrating folk stories to children to highlight the history and cultural values of the UAE. 

At the beginning of the session, Al Shamsi talked about the purpose of the project, its role in preserving the rich oral traditions of the UAE and the need to share it with the new generation. She explained how 10 Emirati authors had put together the collection of stories inspired by Emirati folklore which were then rewritten in a simpler narrative to meet the needs of the target age groups, while maintaining the authenticity of the stories and its ability to instill moral values in young readers.

Al Shamsi added: “The 22 illustrated heritage-themed stories in the book is the outcome of a collaborative effort that saw intensive research undertaken to ascertain the origin of each story. It often took us days to discuss one theme in just one story and several discussions to finalise it, as we were committed to transfer correct and comprehensive cultural content to the younger generation.”

Al Shamsi underlined the role of the project’s three partnering entities in reviving Emirati oral narrative traditions to benefit younger generations while preserving the nation’s common history. 

Asma Al Ketbi noted that the main goal behind the project is to provide age-appropriate folk stories of quality content that reflect Emirati cultural values and highlight important national traditions.

“Our aim was to rewrite the folktales to make them easier to comprehend by everyone, including readers of other cultural backgrounds and nationalities living in the UAE. Our work was based on discussions, research studies and consultations to bring out a story book that reflects and documents the rich Emirati heritage. We hope to benefit from this experience for future publication projects. We are always eager to listen to the voices and comments of young people as we endeavor to produce more creative literary works in the future,” Al Ketbi added. 

Meera Al Naqbi, Public Relations Executive at UAEBBY said: “Through this campaign, the UAEBBY carries forward its mission to build the knowledge and awareness of children and youth in the UAE and promote a culture of reading and discover a love of stories. The session aligns with the goals of the campaign in listening to the opinions of young readers and taking their interests into account. The interactive discussion brought readers and writers together to share ideas and feedback about the project, and introduced them to the vision of the UAEBBY and Sharjah Institute for Heritage in undertaking this task. We hope this creative product will help us inspire a new generation of readers who grow up to appreciate their heritage.”
 
The session concluded with participants receiving autographed copies of the book and took photos with the writers.