Page 24 - MBRF PR REPORT - MAY 2025

Press Release

During its participation in Abu Dhabi International Book Fair 2025

Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation

launches three new literary publications

04 May 2025- The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation (MBRF)
unveiled a new series of literary publications covering the genres of fiction, humanitarianism,

and emotion, during its participation in the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair 2025. The latest
works originate from the Dubai International Program for Writing (DIPW), one of MBRF’s key

knowledge initiatives aimed at supporting and empowering young talents in the writing and
literary fields.

The new publications include three novels written by young authors who graduated from the
DIPW’s Novel Writing workshop held in Jordan. These pieces traverse a range of narrative

trajectories by combining bold storytelling with in-depth analysis. The first of these novels, The
Memory of Salt by author Walaa Abazeid, presents a poignant and poetic tale of the

psychological impacts of war, narrating a story of a young Syrian woman named Ayoul. The
narrative explores the way she grapples with loss and displacement, suffers the bitterness of

refuge, and encounters adversity with hope and courage.

The second novel, The Game of Seats, by writer Raghad Zayed, delves into the realm of

emotional literature, highlighting the deep psychological effects of traumatic childhood
experiences. It narrates the story of Fouad, his childhood wounds, and his journey towards

healing and finding inner peace amidst love, pain, and psychological therapy.

In his novel, The Men of the Chess Club, author Saifuddin Mohammed showcases his creativity

in the realm of psychological crime. Set on a fictional island ruled by a despotic regime, the
protagonist is confined in a mysterious asylum run by a suspicious doctor. The narrative raises

philosophical questions about power and freedom, as the distinction between sanity and