A new website is available for residents who love reading and writing
Bookworms, put your latest novel down and check out BookFabulous, a new website that aims to connect readers with international and regional authors.
The site features book reviews, announcements of writing competitions and book releases, as well as interviews with authors and a section on films and art from the region.
Rana Asfour Bouran, a British-Jordanian writer, is the site’s creator and manager. After leaving a career in media to take care of her son, Rana started a blog in 2010. She moved from the UK to Abu Dhabi in August 2013 and in 2014 she turned the blog into a fully-fledged website.
Rana says, “The site encourages people to read and contribute by creating a source of information about literature in the region and beyond.
“There are a lot of great Arabic writers in the region, however it’s very expensive to translate their work into English, so their audience is limited. Prizes such as the International Prize for Arabic Fiction are a great platform, but we need more of them to showcase new talent.
“If you have never read an Arabic book before, a good one to start with is The Hidden Light of Objects by the Kuwaiti author Mai Al-Nakib. It’s an emotional collection of short stories about displacement that I think will speak to many. A book I would suggest to those wanting to learn more about the history of Abu Dhabi and the UAE is From Rags to Riches by the Emirati author Mohammed A J Al Fahim.”
She says everyone is welcome to participate as BookFabulous is a free, non-profit, socially interactive platform. Anybody who wants to write a book review or share their work is invited to get in touch through the website’s comments section or via email or social media.
For more information contact: [email protected]
www.bookfabulous.com
three to try
Abu Dhabi book clubs
Ravenous Readers
www.facebook.com/groups/ravenousreaders
American Women’s Network book club
[email protected]
www.awnabudhabi.com
Abu Dhabi Book Club www.meetup.com/abudhabibookclub
