Mohammed Bin Rashid Library Explores the Art of Epistolary Literature

Dubai, UAE, 3 September 2026: The Mohammed Bin Rashid Library hosted the Epistolary Literature Forum, bringing together a distinguished group of writers, authors, researchers, and intellectuals in a diverse cultural programme that explored letter writing as a literary art form.

The two-day forum was held as part of Mohammed Bin Rashid Library’s efforts to enhance the cultural landscape and create new spaces for dialogue on literary genres and their evolution. It also sought to connect the Arab literary heritage with global experiences, while exploring the transformations correspondence has undergone, and the questions these changes raise regarding literary value, documentation, privacy, and the preservation of memory.

Dr. Mohammed Salem AlMazrooei, Board Member at Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Library Foundation, said: “The Epistolary Literature Forum reflects the Library’s vision of establishing itself as an active knowledge and cultural platform that contributes to enriching the cultural scene, strengthening the presence of Arabic literature, and building bridges for dialogue and knowledge exchange with different cultures and literary experiences.”

AlMazrooei added: “The forum seeks to revisit epistolary literature, explore its literary, human, and documentary value, and bring new generations closer to this heritage, contributing to the sustainability of knowledge and strengthening society’s connection with reading and culture.”

The forum kicked off with a research paper titled Epistolary Literature in Emirati Culture, presented by Dr. Saleh Al-Huwaidi and Maryam Al Saadi. The session explored the role of correspondence in Emirati culture and its relationship to memory, society, and human expression.

In a session titled Epistolary Literature in the Work of Abu Alaa Al-Ma'arri, H.E. Dr. Ali bin Tamim and Dr. Khalil Al-Sheikh examined letters in Al-Ma'arri’s literary and intellectual work, as well as the broadening concept of correspondence in the Arab literary tradition.

Furthermore, the session Writers’ Letters: A Private Space Between Art and Creativity, featuring Ali Obaid, Dr. Omar Abdulaziz, and Hussein Darwish, examined the literary and human value of correspondence between writers and the insights it offers into their personalities, ideas, and relationships.

The first day’s programme concluded with a session titled Al-Jahiz’s Letters: Literature and Thought in the Arabic Epistolary Tradition, featuring Dr. Mohammed Eissa, Larbi ben Thaier, and Amal Sarem. The session examined the letter as a form of Arabic prose in which literature intersects with argumentation, narrative, satire, digression, and intellectual discourse.

On the second day, the forum turned to international literary experiences through sessions delivered in Russian, English, and French.

In the Russian-language session When Writers Wrote to One Other: Friendships That Shaped Literature, Valentina Lipskaia, Elena Olkhovskaya, Anna Kameneva, and Kristina Kritova examined the relationship between correspondence and human and literary connections.

Additionally, the English-language session Letters in an Age of Speed: Has the Shape Changed, or the Essence? featured Daniela Tully, Avni Doshi, and Deeba Irfan. Participants discussed the transformations correspondence has undergone in an era of instant communication, where messages are reduced to a few words and delivered within moments.

On day two, the sessions ended with a French-language discussion titled From Guilleragues’ Portuguese Letters to Autofiction: Intimacy Ahead of Its Time, or When Fiction Invents Sincerity, featuring Marie-Jeanne Acquaviva and Anne-Sophie Lozano. The session invited reflection on the relationship between writing and self, and between disclosure and truth, moving across different experiences and approaches to epistolary writing.

During the two-day forum, a workshop titled The Letter Lab, led by writer Amal Ismail, was also held. Participants engaged in letter writing and explored its literary possibilities, moving from reading and analysing letters to experiencing them as a form of writing and expression.

The Epistolary Literature Forum concluded after two days of sessions and discussions that travelled across different eras, experiences, and languages. The forum supports Mohammed Bin Rashid Library’s efforts to reintroduce literary heritage within contemporary contexts, and nurture dialogue around its relationship with cultural and technological transformations.