JEDDAH: Alf Kalimah, the first literary agency in Jeddah, is far from a typical Gulf book promoter. It accepts submissions in the classic Western way, getting advances from publishers if a manuscript is good enough, rather than forcing writers to cough up the funds to print first editions. But it is also a platform to facilitate writers in the initial stages of their work. “Alf Kalimah acts as a bridge between writers and publishers,” Walaa Al-Safadi, a content producer, told Arab News.
“We connect writers to the right publishing companies — it doesn’t just have to be a book, it can also be a script for a production house.”
The agency emerged from a humble group of passionate but frustrated Jeddah writers who just wanted their work to be read, without having to go through the rigmarole of the Saudi publishing system.
“We signed up for (international writing scheme) ‘Nano Rhino,’ where you must write 1,600-1,700 words every day for the whole month of November. It helps you get rid of writer’s block,” said co-founder Nessreen Tamano.
“However, when doing it, we realized that when we were all together physically in one space, we gave better feedback to each other. And since we are all writers, we can trust our comments more than the praise of a friend or family member.”
Alf Kalimah is divided into two parts: The writing community and the business. Every week the community holds a “write-in” where people can use a dedicated space, provided by the Jeddah Special Directions Office, for up to three hours of uninterrupted work. This can prove priceless for people who have to juggle their creativity with other aspects of daily life.
Ayman Tamano, a 29-year-old filmmaker, uses the space to write movie scripts.
“I joined Alf Kalimah before it turned into an agency, because I wanted to try and write a book instead of a script. I am glad to say I have finally managed to finish it, though it is yet to be published. I still attend the ‘write-in,’ though — I have now written seven more scripts.
“I am very excited for the future of Alf Kalimah, because they are finally providing a platform for talented young writers to emerge.”
Kehkashan Khalid, a 29-year-old artist, said: “I have always wanted to write and before this I was a blogger. Part of my job is being a social media influencer. But I wanted to write a novel, and that happened with the help of Alf Kalimah, where everyone was really supportive of my work.”
Writing tips
Separately, visitors to a recent Saudi book fair were given free chapter-and-verse writing tips on how to produce top content.
Abeer Al-Jarbou, an Arabic teacher at King Saud University, has been running interactive workshops on writing strategies as part of the Riyadh International Book Fair’s cultural program.
Participants were shown how to generate ideas and put their thoughts into words in a simple and concise way, and Al-Jarbou also highlighted the importance of checking and proofreading content. The popular education and training workshops also pointed to the benefits of gaining feedback on written material and following industry influencers.
The event was being staged in the capital under the theme “The Book is the Gate of the Future.”
The Literary Club of Riyadh, which was taking part in the book fair, aims to support young talent by putting their written work in print for free.
Abdulrahman Al-Jasser, a member of the club’s governing council, said it had printed numerous critically acclaimed literary and cultural publications by young people, 20 by first-time writers, and these included novels, poetry and prose.
