The Architecture of Narrative: Three Arab Artists on Who Truly Owns the Story

At Sharjah's International Book Fair, a Kuwaiti scholar, Lebanese theatre director and Emirati actor convene to untangle the complex relationship between writer, performer and audience in the timeless art of storytelling.

Storytelling inhabits a curious territory. It exists simultaneously as a deeply personal expression and as a communal act, shaped by the hands that write it, the voices that perform it, and the minds that receive it. This paradox formed the beating heart of a conversation at the 45th Sharjah International Book Fair, where three accomplished Arab creatives gathered to examine the ownership of narrative itself.

Dr Alia Shuaib, a Kuwaiti literary scholar and visual artist, Rafiq Ali Ahmad, a Lebanese actor, playwright and theatre director whose work has travelled from the Carthage International Festival to Cannes, and Dr Habib Ghuloom, an Emirati actor, director and academic, brought their distinct perspectives to a panel discussion titled “Who Owns the Story?”. Moderated by Al Anoud Al Souri, the session unfolded as a meditation on the relationship between storytelling and performance, the evolution of narratives across generations, and the profound creative responsibilities involved in translating human experience into written and performed works.

The fundamentals of storytelling, the three artists agreed, cannot be reduced to a neat formula. Rather, the craft emerges from an intricate amalgamation of conception, interpretation and presentation. For Rafiq Ali Ahmad, storytelling functions as a shared human experience, a mechanism through which individuals might learn from the trials and errors of others, absorbing wisdom accumulated across time.

The transition from oral tradition to written script represents a pivotal moment in cultural history. Dr Alia Shuaib reflected on this evolution, noting how the shift from voice to page marks a significant transformation in the ways culture is preserved and stories are sculpted, passed from one generation to the next with the permanence that writing affords.

Yet the written word alone does not exhaust storytelling’s possibilities. Theatre and cinema provide what might be called a visual and sensory amplification of narrative, introducing dialogue, performers, stagecraft and light as complementary elements. Dr Habib Ghuloom emphasised a crucial distinction: these external components, however refined, must serve to enhance the story rather than overshadow it. “A successful production requires a synergy between the writer, who provides the foundation, and the director, who interprets the vision,” he observed.

The conversation extended beyond technique to consider storytelling’s broader cultural function. The three artists recognised that stories and art serve as mirrors to society, reflecting both its struggles and its cultural identity, offering audiences a means to see themselves and their world rendered intelligible through narrative form.

The session formed part of SIBF 2026’s substantial cultural programme, which brings together writers, thinkers and readers for discussions exploring literature, creativity and the stories that inhabit books. Organised by the Sharjah Book Authority, the fair runs from November 4 to 15, 2026, at Expo Centre Sharjah, drawing 3,212 publishers and exhibitors from 126 countries and presenting more than 1.7 million titles.

What it means for Abu Dhabi

This conversation at Sharjah’s book fair reflects a broader regional conversation about how Arab artists and creatives are reclaiming and reimagining storytelling within their own cultural context. As the 18th International Award for Arabic Children’s Literature demonstrated in recent weeks, there exists a renaissance of Arabic publishing and creative expression, with entries from across the Arab world indicating a vital commitment to cultural narrative on local terms.

For audiences and creators across the emirates, these discussions carry particular resonance. They affirm that storytelling remains central to how societies understand themselves and preserve their heritage, even as new mediums and forms emerge. The presence of three distinguished Arab voices at such a prominent cultural platform underscores the region’s investment in contemporary creative dialogue and its recognition that art and literature remain fundamental to both individual expression and collective identity.

Source: WAM