Young Voices of Arabia 2021 launched at the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature

DUBAI: The Emirates Airline Festival of Literature welcomed child authors of the winning stories in the Voices of Future Generations for the Middle East Region competition for the launch of their book; an anthology called Young Voices of Arabia 2021.

This anthology contains 22 original stories with 11 originally written in Arabic and 11 in English, all of which feature sustainability themes, and one or more of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The beautifully produced collection, illustrated by UAE-based artists, has been translated and all stories are available in both languages. The book launch was celebrated with the young authors each performing an original piece of poetry about one of the SDGs, to the delight of the audience.

Sheikha Hissa bint Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Goodwill Ambassador for Voices of Future Generations in the Gulf Region, said: “I have had a wonderful time reading these stories as they fill me with hope for the future. I encourage everyone to read them and be inspired by the great talent and passion the young people in the region have shown with their submissions. This is a book I will treasure for a long time, and I am excited to see what the future holds for our young authors. Imagination is the seed that will grow into real-world solutions for a better tomorrow. I hope every child across the region will join in and imagine it too, and I can’t wait to see their submissions this year.”

Isobel Abulhoul, CEO and Trustee of the Emirates Literature Foundation, said: “We are so proud to be supporting HH Sheikha Hissa bint Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum in her role as Goodwill Ambassador for the Voices of Future Generations initiative, and we are delighted to launch this book today. We believe stories is the best way to change hearts, minds and behaviours, and these stories published today will inspire great change and remind us that we can do better.”

The unique writing initiative was created to promote sustainability awareness and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. The regional competition is organised by the Emirates Literature Foundation on behalf of Sheikha Hissa bint Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Goodwill Ambassador for the initiative for the Gulf Region.

The 2022 competition is now open to all children resident in the Gulf region and aged between 8 and 12 years old. Entries can be in either Arabic or English and between 600 -1500 words long. The adventure stories should feature themes around children’s rights and sustainable development, and the writer’s hopes, dreams or aspirations for a sustainable future. The early submission deadline is 10 April 2022.

WAM