Dubai: The craft of fine handwriting was celebrated at The Emirates Airline Festival of Literature (1-6 February 2023) with a special ceremony to honour the winners of the Royal Grammar School (RGS) Guildford Dubai Children’s Letter Writing Competition.
Celebrating beautiful penmanship, the RGS Guildford Dubai Children’s Letter Writing Competition gives young people the chance to show off their letter writing skills, recognising both the aesthetic of fine handwriting and the art of composing a well-crafted message. Letters were written to an ‘Old Friend’, the theme of this year’s festival, telling them about a book that the students cherish. The competition is divided into three age categories and this year saw the special inclusion for Students of Determination. Very encouragingly, this year, the number of entries surpassed previous years, with over 1500 letters received, all handwritten by UAE students.
“In an age where digital writing takes over many aspects of our daily lives, it is wonderful to be able to celebrate the art of letter writing. It’s a skill that should always be celebrated and encouraged with our young people, as it can bring so much joy.” said Clare Turnbull, Principal, RGS Guildford Dubai.“We are delighted to have supported the RGS Guildford Dubai Children’s Letter Writing Competition for the second year running, the standard of submissions has been truly wonderful, and we congratulate all the winners today.”
The winners are:
RGS Arabic Winners -2023
8-10 Age Group
1. Leen Mohammed Al-Rababaa, Emirates National School – Abu Dhabi
2. Rawda Muhammad Alghrabli, Halima Al Sa’adeya School – Abu Dhabi
3. Alaa Siddiq Al Dhafri, Hemaya School for Girls Cycle 1 – Dubai
11-13 Age Group
1. Muhammad Yousef Alhammadi, Al-Jisr Boys’ School Cycle2 – Sharjah
2. Mazen Khaled Aljak, Cambridge international school – Dubai
3. Hana Ibrahim, Al Shola School – Ajman
14 – 18 Age Group
1. Amani Hosni Al-Ashmawi, Al Mabade School – Abu Dhabi
2. Noura Abdulrahman Bawazir, Al Ittihad Private School
3. Mira AbdulAzizAlablam, Dubai National School – Dubai
POD
Winner – Zayed Rashid Al Zeyoudi, Al Badiya School Cycle 1 and 2 Boys – Fujairah
Honorable Mention – Mariam Waleed Alsheikh, Fatima Bin Mubarak School – Abu Dhabi
RGS English Winners – 2023
8-10 Age Group
1. Karim Labib, Kings School Dubai, Dubai
2. Anna Cameron, Royal Grammar School Guilford Dubai, Dubai
3. Isha Rajeev Nair, Victory Heights Primary School, Dubai
11-13 Age Group
1. SeherPahade, Ambassador School Dubai, Dubai
2. Saishivani Srinivasan, GEMS Our Own English High School, Dubai
3. Mir Faraz, The Winchester School, Dubai
14 – 18 Age Group
1. Sashini Manikandan, Delhi Private School, Sharjah
2. Abdullah Rabih Abdul Rahim, Dubai National School – Al Tawar, Dubai
3. Mishal Faraz, The Winchester School, Dubai
POD
1. Sidra Ghani, Pakistan Islamia Higher and Secondary School, Sharjah
Honourable Mention
Asma Majid, Al-Bashair Private School
The Festival programme is brimming with sessions to engage, entertain and inform, with topics encompassing fiction, history, current affairs, food, health, travel, biography, business and more. There are opportunities to appreciate poetry, take part in creative writing workshops and generally indulge in intelligent and articulate discussion on a wide range of topics. Sessions appeal to all ages and nationalities, featuring outstanding authors, thinkers and opinion formers.
Other initiatives celebrated at the Festival included the Voices of Future Generations, which launched its second anthology of winning stories; the School Librarian of the Year; OUP Story Writing Competition; Chevron Reader’s Cup; ENBD Poetry For All; Emirates LitFest Writing Prize; and the announcement of the second year fellows of First Chapter: ELF Seddiqi Writers’ Fellowship.
The Emirates Airline Festival of Literature Festival is held with Founding Partners Emirates Airline and the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), the Emirate’s dedicated authority for heritage, arts, and culture. It is held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai.
