Asia Writes

14 March 2013

Date: 14 - 16 March 2013

The Intensive Screenwriting Workshop is an initiative founded by Cinephilia Productions in September 2012. The workshop provides deep insights on the craft of screenwriting. Participants' screenplays that get developed during the workshop get the opportunity to be funded and produced by Cinephilia Productions based on a submission process.

Cinephilia Productions has successfully wrapped up the workshops in Dubai and Abu Dhabi in early March and the next workshop venue is the Arraya Complex in  Kuwait, still with award-winning writer/ Director Darine Hotait.

AGENDA:

• Part 1 Creative
• Part 2 The Craft
• Part 3 Practical
• Part 4 Director/Writer

FACILITATOR:

Darine Hotait is a Lebanese American film writer, director and producer. She received her Masters Degree in film writing and directing from the prestigious Art Center College of Design in California. In 2008, She founded Cinephilia Productions in Los Angeles and later in New York, where she produced a number of award winning films.

She has written, directed and produced a number of short films that has received acclaim and awards at various international film festivals such as 'Beirut...Hide and Seek', ' The Far Side of Laughter', 'Command or Truth', 'Hymn for Isis'...and more.

Darine has written a number of feature screenplays. Her debut screenplay 'Symphony of a Flood' has made the top 5 finalists at the San Francisco Hearst Screenwriting Grant. The film is now in pre-production.
Her second screenplay titled 'Decoding Bach' is sponsored by the New York Foundation For The Arts and now in development phase.

At the moment, Darine is producing an Iranian feature film written and directed by Abazar Noorizad.

She resides in New York.


CONTACT INFORMATION:

For queries: info@cinephiliaproductions.com

Website: http://www.cinephiliaproductions.com/

06 March 2013

Deadline: 11 March 2013

The United States Department of State in cooperation with the prestigious Iowa Writers Program (IWP) will host 12 writers ages 16-19 from Arabic-speaking countries for a two-week residency at the University of Iowa from June 22-July 8, 2013. The young writers will be immersed in one of the top creative-writing programs in the U.S. as part of a cultural exchange that will broaden and sharpen their writing skills, deepen their understanding of American society, and build bridges with young American writers who will also participate in the workshop. Program activities will include writing workshops in both English and Arabic, seminars on literary topics, cultural visits, and other local events along with a trip to Chicago. At the conclusion of the program, the students’ writings (in both English and Arabic) will be collected into a printed booklet that will be used for educational purposes. The U.S. Embassy will accept nominations for candidates and chaperones for the program (more details below). The chaperone will also have the opportunity to participate in teacher training workshops on creative writing with American teachers in English. The program is FUNDED by the U.S. Department of State, including international airfare, travel within the United States, accommodation, meals, and program fees.

IDEAL CANDIDATES FOR THE “BETWEEN THE LINES” YOUNG WRITERS PROGRAM:

• A student between the ages of 16-19
• Proficient in reading, writing, and speaking in both English and Arabic
• Demonstrates a willingness to participate in a cross-cultural environment
• A strong interest in writing

REQUIREMENTS FOR CHAPERONES:

• Ideally, be a teacher from the same school at the candidate
• Proficient in reading, writing, and speaking in both English and Arabic
• Reliable, mature, and willing and able to oversee students in the program

HOW DO I APPLY?

Applicants are requested to supply the following:

• A writing sample of 6-8 pages of prose and/or poetry in English
• A writing sample of 6-8 pages of prose and/or poetry in Arabic
• A brief c.v. with information including education, area of study, and contact information
• A brief one paragraph statement in English describing why writing is important to their life and what they hope to gain from the program
• A writing sample of 2-5 pages of prose and/or poetry in either English or Arabic on one of the following themes:
• A person comes home and sees that someone new is moving into the apartment next to them. In the hallway is a giant cage with a colorful bird that talks, an open box full of shiny black shoes, and a strange machine the person has never seen before. The new neighbor’s door is open – what happens? (Write a short story or poem.)
• Write a story of poem inspired by the following statement: “Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.”

Applications should be emailed with writing samples by Monday, March 11, 2013.

The U.S. Embassy will review applications and contact applicants for interviews.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For queries/ submissions: solimannm@state.gov

Website: http://kuwait.usembassy.gov. http://iwp.uiowa.edu/programs/between-the-lines

07 February 2013

TWS is launching TWS Young Writers Competition encourages writing and reading within our community. This competition is an opportunity to publish the work of young writers. It urges up-and-­coming authors to spread their wings, offering the possibility of turning dreams into reality. TWS is welcoming talented entrants from all parts of the globe and now seeks promoting their writings. TWS is asking a Jury composed of prominent writers to evaluate the writings submitted. Young writers are welcome to enter novels, short stories and essays previously written or pieces written specifically for our competition. TWS believes that by stimulating minds, encouraging writing and reading, we can help change the world. TWS Young Writers Competition is a chance to challenge young writers to push themselves, explore their world, expand their horizons, tickle their imagination and express themselves.

ELIGIBILITY: Any writer, blogger that writes in English, Arabic. Ages from 13 to 25yrs. The competition is open to all writers all around the world. Previously published/posted writings are not eligible.

AUTHORSHIP: Each entry shall be the original work of a single individual and constitute an independent subject. The ideas and work reflected by each entry must be the author’s own. The author must perform all of the key tasks and writing and revising the paper for himself or herself. The author may inform another of the progress he or she has made in performing these tasks and accept a reasonable amount of responsive advice from academicians or practitioners in the field but the writer must avoid undue collaboration.

SUBJECT MATTER AND LENGTH: Contestants are free to choose the subject of their writings. Essays length will vary from round to round. The text of the essay must be double-­‐spaced, with twelve-­‐point font and one-­‐inch margins.

STORY MANUSCRIPT: Entries must be uploaded in (.pdf) or (.doc) format, with a front page stating your name, address, phone number and email address. Please also state story title and word count.

JUDGING: The format of this competition has been selected to stimulate creativity of thought. Competition judges will be appointed by the competitions manager of TWS and their decisions will be final with no correspondence being entered into.

NOTIFICATIONS Winners will be notified within 1 week of closing date of each submission. Winning entries may not be submitted elsewhere for twelve months after that date without permission of TWS.

SUBMISSIONS DATES:

• Submissions (1/2 to 20/2) Duration: 1 week. Writers will submit their work by filling the Application online. 
•  Eliminations (21/2-­‐27/2) Duration: 1 week. Writers submitted parts/ blog links will be eliminated by TWS comity. A meeting will be held for the 10 writers to clear up the rules and regulations of the competitions and sign the contracts. 10 writers will be chosen and announced on instagram/twitter to enter round 1
•  Round 1 (Top 8) (28/2 to 6/3) Duration: 1 week. Writers submit a minimum of 2000 words due to the rules and regulations. The parts will be posted in ‘’hadara.me’’. The number of ‘’likes’’ on Instagram will be counted as votes by readers. The top 8 will be moving on to round 2 
•  Round 2 (Top 6) (7/3 to 13/3) Duration: 1 week. Writers submit a minimum of 3000 words due to the rules and regulations. The parts will be posted in ‘’hadara.me’’. The number of ‘’likes’’ on Instagram will be counted as votes by readers. The top 6 will be moving on to round 3 
•  Round 3 (Top 4) (14/3 to 20/3) Duration: 1 week. Writers submit a minimum of 4000 words due to the rules and regulations. The parts will be posted in ‘’hadara.me’’. The number of ‘’likes’’ on Instagram will be counted as votes by readers. The top 4 will be moving on to the semi-­‐finals. 
•  Semi Finals (Top 2) (21/3 to 27/3) Duration: 1 week. Writers submit a minimum of 5000 words due to the rules and regulations. The parts will be posted in ‘’hadara.me’’. The number of ‘’likes’’ on Instagram will be counted as votes by readers. The top 2 will be moving on to the finals. 
•  Finals (28/3 to 3/4) Duration: 1 week. Writers submit a minimum of 6000 words due to the rules and regulations. The parts will be posted in ‘’hadara.me’’. The winner will be chosen by TWS committee.

WINNERS & PRIZES :

The 1st winner will receive the following:

• A publishing contract from TWS 
• A valuable prize presented by our sponsors 
• A dedicated website for the author with 1 year hosting The 2nd and 3rd winners will receive the following: 
• A valuable prize presented by our sponsors 
• A dedicated website for the author with 1 year hosting

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For submissions: via the online application page

Website: http://www.hadara.me

27 July 2011

Deadline: 30 August 2011

Kala Kuwait is providing a golden opportunity for talented Keralite writers in Kuwait to present their literary creations, either story or poetry. The winners of this literary competition will receive mementos and cash awards.

Story and poetry submissions should be original and previously unpublished. Stories should not exceed 5 pages. Entries can be emailed to kalaonweb@gmail.com or it can be directly handed to Kala Centre before August 30th.

For more information, contact 24317875, 97817100 or 66656642.

Contact Information:

For inquiries: contact 24317875, 97817100 or 66656642

For submissions: kalaonweb@gmail.com

Website: http://www.kalaonweb.com/

10 February 2011

Lothan Youth Achievement Center (loyac.org) is a non-profit organization working towards the overall development of the youth. It is headquartered in Bayt Lothan Salmiya, Kuwait. The winning poem will receive a cash prize of KD200. Please call 9723-9420 for more information.


More information here.

11 January 2011

Deadline: 15 February 2011


On the occasion of Vivekananda Jayanthi on Jan 12, 2011, Vichar Bharati Kuwait announces an essay writing competition for school children and general public above 15 years of age.

The topic of the competition is: Swami Vivekananda - Bharat’s Youth Icon.

The entries with not more than 3,000 words can be sent to the email address vbkuwait@gmail.com. The best researched papers will be awarded. Essay can be written or typed in English, Hindi or Malayalam. You are requested to submit a copy of your civil id also for age verification. Essay should be sent before 15th February 2011.

More details on this great saint who showcased Bharat’s great culture and heritage to the rest of the world is available at the below link. The complete works of Swami Vivekananda: http://www.ramakrishnavivekananda.info/vivekananda/volume_1/vol_1_frame.htm

More details about the essay competition can be obtained from 99184894, 67636956 or 66317887

More information here.

26 December 2010

British-Kuwait Friendship Society Prize in Middle Eastern Studies
Go to website
Email Address: a.l.haysey@dur.ac.uk
Editor/Founder: Durham University
Country: UK
Type: Writers' Prize

Description: BRISMES administers the British-Kuwait Friendship Society Prize in Middle Eastern Studies. This was founded thanks to an endowment of the Abdullah Mubarak Charitable Foundation. In each of the years since the prize commenced, it has attracted around 30 nominations from some 15 publishers and the overall standard of entries has been extremely high. The prize is awarded for the best scholarly work on the Middle East each year. Normally the chronological remit of the prize will be from the rise of Islam until the present day, but outstanding scholarly entries from the pre-Islamic era may also be considered.

(Directory entry)

14 October 2010

Today the official student newspaper of the American University of Kuwait, The Voice of AUK, will be hosting an event titled ‘The Importance of Cultural Dialogue in Journalism and Islam’ from 2:00-4:00 pm. Ms Ethar El-Katatney, the first Egyptian to win the CNN MultiChoice African Journalist of the Year Award (2009), an author of a book called Forty Days and Forty Nights in Yemen: A Journey to Tarim, the City of Light, and a reporter at IBM Media, will be giving the lecture. AWARE Center and Moevenpick, will be sponsoring this event. The Voice of AUK aims to endorse cultural dialogue through this lecture and inform students about bridging cultural gaps.

More information here.

07 October 2010

Deadline: 10 October 2010

Kerala Art Lovers Association (KALA-Kuwait) conducts every year a function named October Anusmaranam in remembrance of famous Keralite poets, lyricist, writers etc who passed away in the month of October. As a part of it Kala is conducting a poetry recitation competition on October 15th at 4 pm onwards at Kala Centre. Participants are only allowed to recite poems written by Sri Vayalar Ramavarma and the time duration allotted for the recitation is 7 minutes only.

Those who wish to participate in the competition should register their names on or before October 10th with any of following numbers: 24317875 (Abbasiya Kala Centre), 9593175 (Fahaheel), 97496171 (Salmiya), 99026571 (Abbasiya).

The winners of this competition will receive their prizes during the October Anusmaram program which will be held on October 22nd.

More information here/here.

27 September 2010

Deadline: 27 October 2010

American University of the Middle East (AUM) is announcing openings for the position of English Language Instructor in Kuwait.

About AUM:

The American University of the Middle East (AUM) aims at creating a solid and genuine learning environment that facilitates the development of a generation of leaders, committed to the culture of their community and the global ethical values of professionalism, whilst enjoying a continuous process of learning that goes beyond obtaining degrees to learning through accumulation of experiences and responsibilities.

Join us!

AUM is actively seeking experienced and enthusiastic ESL Instructors to teach our EPP course. The EPP is an intensive English as a Second Language program for students who are working to meet the English proficiency requirements for admission to AUM. The EPP offers a rigorous series of courses in listening, speaking, reading, and writing English, with an emphasis on academic writing and preparation for the AUM admission examinations. The program features small classes, student-centered learning, and individualized instruction.

Qualification requirements:

• Master's degree in relevant discipline (e.g. English/Linguistics) from UK or US universities;
• Holders of an internationally recognized qualification in the Teaching of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) can be an asset;
• At least 1 to 2 years experience of teaching.
  

Skills:

• Presentation skills;
• Good communication skills;
• Ability to work with young people;
• Time management skills;
• Understanding and knowledge of LMS (Learning Management System) and relevant computer skills would be an asset.
  

Company profile:

The American University of the Middle East is emerging - after five years of extensive research and studies - to be an icon of quality higher education and development in Kuwait, the region, and the world. AUM is aiming to raise the service standards and to contribute to the establishment and continuous nourishment of strategically-needed industries through developing well-rounded professionals and entrepreneurs in the areas of Business, Health, Human Services, Education, and IT. All this can only be achieved through a genuine and exceptional learning environment, quality student life, committed competent faculty, and engaged leadership.

Interested candidates should send their CV to: hr@aum.edu.kw and indicate the position title in the subject line.

In case of further inquiries, please send your e-mail to: Nino.Gonashvili@aum.edu.kw

More information here.

21 September 2010

Deadline: 30 September 2010

Nominations are open for Sheikh Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah's Journalism Excellence Awards in Kuwait, under the patronage of the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense.

The nominations will be open from July 1 to September 30. Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak also announced that significant changes have been made to strengthen the competition, now in its third year of existence. Enhancements to the contest include expanding the number of award categories, increasing the prize amounts and clarifying the rules for entry. The First Deputy Prime Minister told the committee that he pledges to provide "all necessary support to Kuwaiti journalists in an effort to help them develop their professional skills."

The creation of an awards program is a result of Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak's commitment to free press in Kuwait. He said any strong democracy must have a vibrant, free press in order to succeed. The First Deputy Prime Minister added that he believes journalistic freedom is the reason why there are many prize-worthy stories in Kuwait.

The most noticeable change to this year's contest is the expansion to four award categories. Beginning this year, awards will be handed out in the following groups:

* Best Report
* Best Investigative Journalism
* Best Interview
* Best Picture

In addition, the prize amounts have increased. Each category will feature a KD 750 first prize, a KD 500 second prize and a KD 300 third prize. The articles or photographs must not have been published prior to January 1, 2009. It is also stipulated that the stories must be written in Arabic and be no less than 1,000 words.

All writers and photographers wishing to enter the competition must be members of Kuwait's Journalism Association (KJA). To maintain fairness and objectivity, no contest entrant can be related to anyone on the committee selecting this year's prizes. Also, articles submitted as nominations cannot have been entered in any other competition inside or outside Kuwait.

More information here/here.