Giving Emirati Writers a Voice

Iman Ben Chaibah, 29, is the Editor in Chief and Founder of Sail eMagazine, a digital monthly magazine that provides a platform for Emiratis to explore their passion for writing, be inspired and discuss life issues. This year, the magazine won the Young Digital Publishing Entrepreneur Award from the British Council.

Iman is a computer science graduate, with a Masters degree in project management. Weyana asked her about her inspirations, the challenges she faced and her hopes for the magazine.

What was the idea behind setting up Sail eMagazine?

I wanted a platform that gathers together lots of writers in one place and gives a platform to people who aren’t getting published in actual printed magazines. I wanted it to focus on Emiratis and have intelligent and thought-provoking content, as opposed to fashion and celebrity news and gossip. Generally the English publications don’t take on Emirati writers unless their name is already very well-known. That’s where Sail came in – to give them a chance, and provide an English platform to represent Emirati opinion.

How did you go about it?

I had worked in IT for eight years, and that background really helped a lot; it took just 10 days from having the idea to launch. We started very small: me, one other person and a third person to write a guest piece. Word spread, and we were soon taking on more people. We now have 32 members, all of them Emirati writers, editors and illustrators. We started without illustrations; that came later. I know that the magazine would not have got to where it is now without the artwork.

Continue reading at Weyana:

Giving Emirati Writers a Voice

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