The Qatari Media Center of the Ministry of Culture hosted the intellectual cultural symposium organized by the Qatari Forum for Authors on “Manifestations of the Identity and Belonging in the Qatari Literature,” with the participation of a group of professors, intellectuals and writers, and its media management and the writer Khawla Mortazavi.
The symposium witnessed the participation of Dr. literary critic Hassan Rashid, storyteller Jamal Fayez, and Professor Abdulaziz Al-Sheikh. The symposium dealt with the bright aspects of the Qatari literature’s interest in the concept of identity and belonging, and how these concepts had a remarkable presence in many Qatari stories and novels that were issued during more than half a century of the Qatari narrative. Dr. Hassan Rashid dealt with a number of Qatari fiction models that were full of identity and belonging, meanwhile, the storyteller Jamal Fayez referred to some of the stories he wrote, which were full of the spirit of belonging.
Professor Abdulaziz Al-Sheikh confirmed that the identity and its manifestations were present in many Qatari literature and distinguished it from many other narratives.
The attendees talked about the importance of the presence of such concepts in literature and how they can devote the collective concepts and the overall culture of the members of the society, especially since the state of belonging to the citizen represents one of the most important elements of his strength.
The Qatari literature enjoys the richness and diversity of its product, as the past ten years have witnessed the publication of many literary works that have had a remarkable presence on the cultural scene locally and in the Arab world, and translation has played a major role in transferring these Qatari narratives into other languages.
Ms. Iman Al Kaabi, the Director of the Qatar Media Center, confirmed that the Qatari identity is rooted in literary fiction, including fiction in particular, which gave it another spirit represented by its closeness to the reader’s culture, especially the Qatari reader, pointing out that the Qatari Media Center continues its mission to support the activities that will shed light on the various media, intellectual and cultural aspects, praising at the same time the cooperation and partnership between the Qatari Media Center and the Qatari Forum for Authors. She also announced the upcoming organization of a number of events for the center in partnership with the other center of the Ministry of Culture.