DOHA: Qatar Charity (QC) has honoured winners of its “The Young Writer” competition at a ceremony held at the Al Wakrah Municipality Building.
Launched last February on the occasion of the Mother Language International Day by QC Community Development Centre in Al Wakrah, ‘The Young Writer’ competition in Arabic involved female students of both primary and preparatory school levels in Al Wakrah and Mesaieed.
Many Qatari intellectuals and journalists, ambassadors from QC’s Social Network, students and parents attended.
Jawaher Hamad Al Mana’i received the first prize for primary school level for her story ‘Toys Talk’, while the second prize went to Reem Amin Al Yaf’i for her story ‘Rapture after Distress’.
Addana Hussein Al Hashimi won the third place for her story ‘Girl and Hijab’.
In the preparatory school level, Merriam Yehia won the first prize for her story Jasmine and the Unfair King’; Hamas Mohammed Mahran won the second place for her ‘Sally and the Big Forest’; and Nour Mustafa Khattab for her ‘My Hijab is My Happiness’.
The winners of the first three prizes received cash prizes of QR2,000, QR1,500 and QR1,000, respectively.
In his speech, Ali Al Gharib, Director of Programmes and Centres Administration at QC, announced that Al Sharq newspaper and QC Magazine will publish the winning entries.
“QC will continue to support the winners through offering them creative writing courses and workshops. Our main purpose is to improve their skills so that they publish their own works in the future.
“We thank Ibda’ Cultural Centre, Al Wakrah Municipality, the participating schools, the trainers of the competition’s workshops (Julnar Fahim and Hassan As-Sa’i) and QC’s Social Network’s ambassadors Ahmed Abdullah and Asmaa Al Hammadi, journalists”.
Jassim Fakhru, a jury member, said that such competitions teach the students to expand their horizons and thinking through improving their writing skills. “I enjoyed reading the stories. The girls mixed fantasy and myths with life. It shows creativity and innovation,” he added.
The winners expressed their deep happiness for receiving the first three prizes. Addana Al Hashimi, one of the winners, said that she was thrilled to win and that she knew she was going to. “I aspire to become a writer and I hope my writings will be published in the newspapers one day.”
Reem Al Yaf’i said, “It is my first time to participate in a writing contest. I definitely want to do this again,” she said.
Nour Mustafa said, “I was hoping to win. I worked really hard. Now I wish to have my first book published and that I become a very famous writer in the future.”
Hamas Muhran expressed her happiness for winning and that she wished luck for all the others who participated but did not win. “Keep writing. It is not over yet,” she encouraged them.The Peninsula
