Reem al-Kamali

Reem al-Kamali (born 1979 in Dubai) is an Emirati writer, novelist, and journalist. Al-Kamali's field of interests are ancient language and archaeology.

Reem al-Kamali (1979)

Quotes

• I write realistically, and I pay attention to the complicated ideas which I observe with love and care rather than scolding its complicity.

• We are linguistically and historically alike. If you look at the past, you will find that our roots, stories, and etiquette are one. We were all once citizens of the Ummayad, Abbasid, and Ottoman empires, where the gulf intersected between the Ottoman empire and others until the separation during 20th century where we became strangers and since then wanted to remain that way, which has always been our dilemma across history.

• I don't write history and call it a novel, and I totally realise that I am specialised in history. However, writing a novel to me means pouring all forms of art and literature into it, with a choice of a realistic, historical, story setting having had revolutionised numerously along the way.

• Creative ideas are the secret of a successful novel.

• Some novels are like fragrances. Their scenes are scentful, and you smell the beautiful wonders of letters and stories all the way till the end, with memories staying nostalgic for years.

• Who hasn’t been to a museum somewhere in the world and saw a painting that reflects a popular belief? Who hasn’t read a popular novel that highlights a culture’s legacy?

• The author’s life is full of transformations and painful secrets. This pain is undoubtedly his weapon. When an author writes voicing opinions that readers disagree with, readers decide to no longer read for him. This happened with many authors who willingly opened their wounds and purely spoke about their feelings.

• There were also many women poets. But despite that, why couldn’t I find a story written by an Emirati woman in the 1960s?

• The more formal languages of today are defined within a framework and are accompanied by a sense of ownership. Conversely, the spoken word belongs to the people without being owned.