Six Bahrain schoolgirls have emerged as standout talents in an Arabic-language competition, earning top honours in the graphic novel category.
The annual We Write in Arabic initiative, organised by Bahrain Islamic Bank (BisB) last month, aims to promote the Arabic language while also fostering creativity among participants aged between 10 and 35.
The contest featured four categories – short story, poetry and novel, with the graphic novel category introduced only last year.
Participants were challenged to explore the theme of environment and recycling, blending artistic expression with social awareness. Winners in each category received cash prizes of up to BD1,000, along with the opportunity to have their works published in a dedicated anthology.
In the graphic novel category, the intermediate level school winners were Haneen Hasan, Fatima Ali and Sandy Islam. In the secondary level school group, Aisha Umpad came first, followed by Rawan Hussain in second place and Duha Abdullah in third.
Aisha, a student from Ghazi Al Gosaibi Secondary School for Girls, shone bright with her story Win from Waste.
The comic follows Fauzan – named after the Arabic word for ‘win’, Fauz – a jewellery shop employee who is inspired to craft a recycled jewellery box after discovering a pen made from recycled paper.
Aisha holding her award
“This competition was a new experience because it pushed me to think deeper than I usually do,” the 16-year-old from Hamad Town told the GDN.
“Since the theme was recycling and the environment, I carefully observed the art materials provided, many of which were made from recycled items.
“The recycled paper pens given to us during the competition became the core of my comic,” she added.
Growing up in a Filipino household in Bahrain, Arabic was not Aisha’s first language – making her achievement all the more remarkable. She admitted that joining the competition was a bold step outside her comfort zone, taken with encouragement from her parents and teachers.
“Even though I’m more comfortable in English, I wanted to challenge myself because Arabic is such a beautiful and rich language, and my father also hopes I will continue to learn and improve it,” she told the GDN.
“For me, joining the competition was about trying something new and learning from the experience. So when they announced my name as the first-place winner, I felt an incredible sense of relief. I was happy because it made all the hard work I put into my comic feel worthwhile,” she added.
Aisha hopes to continue creating art and inspiring others, while exploring where her artistic journey might lead.
“I believe this little hobby of mine could have a big impact on my future, so I’m just hoping for the best and taking it one step at a time,” she said.
Fatima Ali, a 14-year-old Bahraini student at Al Malikiyah Primary Intermediate School for Girls, who secured second place in graphic novel in the intermediate school category, wrote and illustrated two compelling stories centred on environmental sustainability.
Her narratives depict a city overwhelmed by waste, where a young child sparks positive change through awareness campaigns and messages urging residents to protect the environment.
“The stories were drawn with beautiful and expressive artwork that conveyed environmental values in a simple and engaging way,” Fatima explained.
Fatima with her winning comics and award
Looking ahead, she hopes to inspire her peers to explore art and visual storytelling by planning and presenting workshops.
“I believe that the art form combines literary and visual creativity, and contributes to raising awareness towards social and environmental issues,” she said.
Fatima expressed gratitude on social media for the support she received. “Thank you to my family, friends, and school for the immense support, and to the coaches who spent long hours guiding and instructing us, and a special thank you to my mum and dad for supporting me every step of the way,” she added.
Among the mentors for the participants was comic writer and illustrator Yasser Alhamad, who said it was an honour to help contestants bring their ideas to life.
“It was an honour to share my expertise with the contestants and to take part in nurturing an interest in art and graphic novel creation among future generations,” he said.
rima@gdnmedia.bh
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