QATIF, 27 July 2006 — Budding women writers have completed a month-long short-story writing program under the tutorship of the celebrated Saudi writer Zahra Musa Al-Naser. It was a one-of-its-kind course organized by the Cultural Youth Forum in the Eastern Region.
Twenty-six girls finished the course. It was held once a week for a month. Girls who achieved 100 percent attendance were awarded certificates.
The Cultural Youth Forum is a new initiative by young people in the Eastern Province. Among the many activities the forum organizes are short-story writing competitions held every two months. Entrants are given topics relating to social issues such as the rights of children, unemployment and nationality.
Organizers say that the aim of the competition is to educate Saudi youth about different social and human rights issues. Winning entries will be collated at the end of the year and published in a book form.
The winner of the first competition was given a certificate and a computer and two runners-up were also given awards and certificates in an award ceremony. Attendees at the ceremony included Said Adnan Al-Awami, a Saudi poet from Qatif, and Dr. Muhammad Reza Al-Shamasi, who works at King Fahd University for Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM).
The Youth Forum is presently holding a second competition on the issue of unemployment among Saudi youth.
The forum started with three young female members and now has a total of seven members. Organizers say the group is growing in number.
Kawther Al-Jishi, one of the members of the forum, said: “It has only started recently and needs lots of work but we are doing our best. We plan to increase the number of members especially by recruiting boys. We will start the fourth story contest after two weeks and now we are working on organizing courses and meetings that the youth may make use of.”
