BisB Launches “We Write in Arabic” Creative Writing Initiative

He said, “We are honoured to add this endeavour to the activities of the Capital of Arab Media. The Ministry of Information is always keen on participating in projects that support the ingenuity of young Bahrainis. We look forward to this collaboration with BisB which celebrates our language by igniting their artistic spark. We aspire to discover gifted individuals, empower their creativity, and highlight them in the media. Together, we aim to build a new generation of young intellectuals capable of sharing Bahrain’s cultural narrative with the world.”

Praising the partnership with BisB, His Excellency Dr. Mohammed bin Mubarak Juma, Minister of Education stated, “This competition provides young people with a vital opportunity to showcase their storytelling skills in their native language. It complements our various educational programmes by instilling respect for Arabic, the language of the Holy Quran. We are grateful to BisB and all partners for supporting this endeavour, which fosters creativity while reinforcing the importance of the Arabic language among the youth.”

Ms. Fatema AlAlawi, Acting Chief Executive Officer of BisB remarked, “We are proud to introduce the “We Write in Arabic” contest which celebrates our language and nurtures young creative minds. It highlights the linguistic and cultural richness of our mother tongue and uses it as a medium to reimagine Bahrain’s future within a technological context. We are deeply grateful to our public and private sector partners for their invaluable support of this effort. We aim to organise it on an annual basis to inspire more students to participate in shaping the future of our nation. We also look forward to expanding its scope by engaging more partners and literary figures around the Kingdom.”

Dr. Rashid Najem, President of the Bahrain Writers Association commended the effort, adding, “The ‘We Write in Arabic’ initiative coincides with the UN Arabic Language Day and the ‘Manama the Capital of Arab Media’ event to offer young Bahrainis the chance to write captivating accounts about the future of technology. We are proud to be BisB’s strategic partner for this campaign, which aligns with our mission to preserve and strengthen the Arabic language. Our association is dedicated to contributing to the success of this project by providing expert guidance through experts in short story writing and children’s literature to ensure its success.”

The “We Write in Arabic” programme will run until the end of the year, with registration open from the half of October 2024. Submissions will be evaluated by a panel of judges, followed by a public voting round. The competition will conclude with a grand awards ceremony to announce the winners, followed by the publication of a book featuring the top 10 stories. The event will also include a prize distribution ceremony and a book signing session, all coinciding with the UN Arabic Language Day.

Participants are expected to draft their stories in Arabic, adhering to correct grammar, demonstrating stylistic proficiency, and using appropriate vocabulary. The judging criteria will also rate each piece based on the idea’s originality and inventiveness.