MBRF launches ‘Writing Children's Stories' workshop to empower young and creative writers

Dubai, UAE, 26 September 2024- The Dubai International Program for Writing (DIPW), one of the most prominent knowledge initiatives of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation (MBRF), launched the first phase of the ‘Writing Children's Stories’ workshop at the Mohammed bin Rashid Library, with the participation of 16 creative writers. Delivered by trainer Nadia Al Najjar, the workshop lasts for three months and focuses on the development of children’s literature, further empowering young writers and new talents by providing them with the necessary tools to transform their ideas into inspiring literary works for future generations.

The workshop aims to teach participants the elements and requirements of writing stories for children and provide training on its techniques and skills. This contributes to the development of the trainees’ intellectual and cognitive abilities and enhances the volume of literary contributors in this field of writing.

The second phase of the workshop kicks off in October 2024. During the workshop, participants will interactively learn the characteristics of writing children’s art through brainstorming, and exchanging ideas and assessments, starting from devising creative ideas to writing techniques, up to completing the work.

Commenting on the workshop, trainer Nadia Al Najjar said: “The ‘Writing Children’s Stories’ workshop stands out as one of the most creative and interactive initiatives that is a testament to the MBRF’s commitment to enhancing the skills of creative writers. This includes writing children’s stories, for which the MBRF is dedicated to upgrading participants’ horizons and know-how in order to create stories based on sound and integral literary principles and techniques.”

She added: “Through the workshop, we aim to highlight the concept of writing children's stories as an art form and a literary technique, with an integrated structure and construction. This involves addressing essential elements required for a writer to create a story that caters to the developmental needs and awareness of the age group. The goal is to present ideas in a simple, engaging way that promotes understanding and interaction with children. This includes understanding the methods for research the subject, ensuring its relevance to the child's world and interests, building relatable characters, setting time and space, formulating the plot, and using imagination to create visual scenes. Additionally, it focuses on the technical skills and storytelling techniques necessary to craft an all-round interesting story.”

DIPW is one of the leading knowledge projects launched by the MBRF, which aims to motivate and empower young talents in the field of writing. It seeks to support talented writers and creators and enhance their knowledge through training workshops in various literary and knowledge fields, further enabling them to reinforce their role as active contributors to their communities.