Emirates Lit Fest 2017: Emirati author Ahmed Al Shoaibi inspires the next generation

Emirati children's author Ahmed Al Shoaibi was inspired to write about patriotism and traditions in the UAE after the sacrifice of the 45 martyrs in Yemen.

Ahmed Al Shoaibi began writing children’s books to share the patriotism and culture of the UAE. Satish Kumar / The National.

Ahmed Al Shoaibi’s success as an author was not shared by all those close to him.

The Emirati, whose work is published in English, recalls that his 9-year-old niece criticised him for not writing a story featuring a female protagonist.

"The initial success of the Hamad stories was so heartwarming," says Al Shoaibi, whose six instalments of his The Tales of Hamad children's books last year follow an Emirati boy sharing his nation's cultures and traditions.

“[But] my niece was right: the UAE is a land where women are respected and hold the highest positions, whether a minister or a mother, or both. Creating a leading, adventurous female character made sense.”

As a result, he wrote four more books about Hamad’s sister, Ayesha.

As an engineer and associate professor of chemical engineering and the dean of academic affairs at the Petroleum Institute (PI) in Abu Dhabi, Al Shoaibi didn’t envisage a side-career as an author.

The inspiration came from one of the UAE’s saddest experiences as a nation.

“When we lost 45 martyrs in October 2015 in Yemen, it came as a shock to us as Emiratis,” says Al Shoaibi.

“I was sitting at home thinking about this intense, different grief we were experiencing as a nation. These 45 who died, they have kids, they have families. How do we explain to their families why these men died, what it means to make the ultimate sacrifice for one’s country?”

Al Shoaibi started writing, and the initial result was a poem that resembled a conversation between a father and his 7-year-old son about the notion of patriotism.

A friend's encouragement then led Al Shoaibi to rewrite his poem as a children's story, The Tales of Hamad, and to try to publish it.

“My friend is British and he has lived in the UAE for over 15 years,” he says.

“His kids are born and raised here, and he brought up a good point: how much do his kids really know about the UAE and its people, about this place they call home, about our history and values and traditions?”

Encouraged to pursue these questions, Al Shoaibi started writing about national identity for an audience that included both Emiratis and expats.

“We are a multicultural society that’s very tolerant and very welcoming, and very lucky to have been able to attract expats willing to call the UAE home. We are not a transient place,” he says. “For those who have made the UAE home, who have raised their families here, it is our role to educate them about who we are.”

Al Shoaibi's The Tales of Hamad series tackles topics such as the meaning of patriotism, why Eid is celebrated and what it means to respect one's elders.

But it will be The Tales of Ayesha series on which most of his discussion will focus at the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature on Saturday,.

“One of my favourite Ayesha stories deals with the Mars mission,” he says. “Ayesha learns about it in school and goes home to tell her family that she knows what she wants to be when she grows up: the first Arab woman to go to Mars.

“Ayesha’s mother is shocked, but her grandfather is understanding and encouraging. He can relate; back in his time, he wanted to go to India, which is not as futuristic as Mars, but is also ambitious and adventurous. We are curious people and in this tale, I’m able to tie between the past and the future.”

• Ahmed Al Shoaibi will present an interactive session in Arabic and English at 10am on Saturday, Al Khayma at InterContinental.