The winners of First Chapter 2026, the ELF Seddiqi Writers’ Fellowship, have been announced at the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature. The fellowship supports debut writers working on their first novel in either Arabic or English, pairing them with internationally published authors for one-to-one mentorship. Ten winners were selected from 120 applicants, with the announcements made by five of the programme’s mentors participating in this year’s Emirates LitFest.
Mentors for the 2026 Fellowship Cohort
The authors mentoring the 2026 cohort are Ali Sparkes, Alwyn Hamilton, Annabel Kantaria, Greg Mosse, Iman Humaydan, Jalal Barjas, Leila Aboulela, Renée Ahdieh, Shahla al Ujaily and Sona Charaipotra.
First Chapter 2026 Winners
The winners of the ELF Seddiqi Writers’ Fellowship 2026 are:
- Ahmad Al Suh chosen by Jalal Barjas
- Katherine Rich chosen by Ali Sparkes
- Hashem Al Sayed Ahmad chosen by Dr Shahla Al Ujaily
- Jennah Fakhouri chosen by Sona Charaipotra
- Kamand Kojouri chosen by Greg Mosse
- Mehr Shafiei chosen by Renée Ahdieh
- Nadine Bakhos chosen by Iman Humaydin
- Raed Bou Ajram chosen by Annabel Kantaria
- Shahd Thani chosen by Leila Aboulela
- Zainab Ahmed chosen by Alwyn Hamilton
As the only global-standard mentorship programme in the region dedicated to aspiring fiction writers, acceptance onto the fellowship can mark the first step towards securing an international publishing deal.
Publishing Success and Long-Term Support
The programme is made possible through the support of Seddiqi Holding, which committed to sponsoring the fellowship for five years. To date, four alumni have secured publishing deals, with further projects currently in development. Ahlam Bolooki, CEO of the Emirates Literature Foundation and Festival Director of the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature said,
“We are grateful to Seddiqi Holding for providing the visionary backbone of the fellowship and for partnering with us to help writers turn ambition into achievement. The programme is cultivating a strong cohort of UAE-based authors with global reach, and the results have been phenomenal. Our writers benefit enormously from the generosity and expertise of the authors who mentor them or lead workshops to help refine their craft.”
Graduates of the programme who have secured publishing deals include Sara Hamdan, who signed a major two-book deal with US publisher Holt. Her novel, What Will People Think was published in May 2025. Saba Brelvi, from year two of the programme, will have her novel, The Squatters published by The Dial Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House, this year. Ali Al Shaali and Alaa Maasarani have both had their books published in Arabic. Hind Abdul Hamied Seddiqi, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, Seddiqi Holding said,
“Witnessing the growing appeal and success of the programme further reinforces the importance of the ELF Seddiqi Writers’ Fellowship. We at Seddiqi Holding are extremely proud of the previous cohorts and all that they have achieved, fuelled by the expertise of the Emirates Literature Foundation and mentors over the years. As we look ahead to the future of the programme, we remain committed to nurturing and supporting aspiring writers and pioneering new experiences that will continue to enrich their craft,”
Inside the Fellowship Programme
In addition to six hours of one-to-one mentorship with their assigned mentor, fellows participate in a structured programme of workshops led by resident mentor Annabel Kantaria. These are complemented by meetups, talks and industry sessions covering writing, publishing and book promotion. The fellowship also provides introductions to international agents, editors and publishers, along with access to short writing courses delivered by partner institutions. Each year, participants take part in an international field trip, with previous cohorts visiting the Gotham Writers Centre in New York and the Faber Academy and Curtis Brown Creative in London.
More information about the Emirates Literature Foundation is available online,