Literary scholars at Sharjah Book Fair explained how imagination, empathy and observation help writers create believable characters and emotionally engaging stories without necessarily experiencing everything they portray.
SHARJAH: Can writers create powerful stories without personally experiencing the emotions and situations they describe? Literary scholars at the Sharjah Book Fair explored this question, explaining how imagination, observation and human emotions come together to shape believable characters and compelling fictional worlds.
Speaking at the 45th Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF 2026), Dr Asma’ Ala’addin and Dr Dalal Al-Baroud examined the relationship between creativity and real-life experiences during a discussion titled ‘When Imagination Defies Reality: Between the Magic of Storytelling and the Depths of the Human Soul’.
Moderated by Yousef Al-Nuaimi, the session explored how writers transform everyday experiences into literature that allows readers to understand different perspectives.
Can imagination create stories without personal experience?
Dr Al-Baroud explained that fiction often begins with real emotions, observations and experiences, which writers reshape through imagination.
“Literature reflects people’s emotions,” she said, highlighting the connection between creative expression and human experience.
However, she challenged the belief that writers must personally experience suffering or hardship to portray such emotions convincingly.
“Pain is not necessarily the only source of creativity,” she said.
Her observations suggested that empathy, imagination and an understanding of human behaviour can also help writers develop emotionally convincing narratives.
Why fictional characters need their own identities
Dr Ala’addin explored how writers develop distinctive creative voices through their characters and storytelling approaches.
“Any writer has a narrative identity that sets them apart from others and from themselves,” she said.
She explained that fictional characters should not simply reflect their creators’ personalities or become vehicles for expressing personal thoughts.
Instead, believable characters need individual backgrounds, experiences and motivations that explain their decisions within a story.
The discussion at the Sharjah Book Fair also examined how fictional identities can develop independently of an author’s personal experiences.
How stories connect writers with readers
The scholars highlighted literature’s ability to take readers beyond familiar situations and introduce different emotional perspectives.
Dr Al-Baroud also acknowledged that writers inevitably leave traces of themselves in their creative work.
“The writer cannot avoid leaving some pieces of their soul in the work,” she said.
However, she cautioned against assuming that fictional stories provide complete or permanent reflections of their authors.
Impact to expect
The discussion could encourage aspiring writers across the UAE and wider region to explore creative writing with greater confidence. By recognising imagination and empathy as valuable storytelling tools, emerging authors may feel more comfortable developing characters and narratives beyond their personal experiences.
Sharjah International Book Fair celebrates creative expression
Organised by the Sharjah Book Authority, the Sharjah Book Fair runs from November 4 to 15 at Expo Centre Sharjah under the theme ‘Made of Stories’, with Oman as Guest of Honour.
The event brings together 3,212 publishers and exhibitors from 126 countries, showcasing more than 1.7 million titles.
