JEDDAH, 26 June 2006 — The newly-established Fiction Group at the Jeddah Literary Club is holding its first workshop entitled “The Role of Media in Creating Star Writers” tonight at 9.
Organizers have invited Hashim Al-Jahdali, senior editor of Okaz newspaper’s cultural supplement, and the newspaper’s cultural reporter Abdul Aziz Khozam to address the workshop.
Following the speeches, the floor will be open for the public to give their comments and ask the speakers questions. Membership to the group is open to all regardless of gender. Members are allowed to attend the group’s sessions and participate in discussions with prominent young authors and also to take part in planning the group’s agenda.
“The aim of forming the group is to nurture young talent and engage the public in cultural matters in a lively, non-academic way,” said novelist Abdo Khal, founder of the group and board member of the club.
Khal said there would be no bureaucracy in the group. “This is a public-oriented group. We are all going to organize and share ideas and plan together.”
The Fiction Group has plans to hold two other meetings during the summer but have not decided on the topics as yet. The group is the only one that holds its activities during the summer.
There are reports of the women’s consultant committee at the club planning its own women-only activity in the morning. There is also a talk of holding youth activities on Mondays and Wednesdays.
