HBKU Press webinar explores sports-literature convergence
HAMAD in Khalifa University Press (H KU Press) continued its series of public online webinars with ‘Documenting Sports A Re ection of Qatar’s History’, exploring the intersection between literature and sport in Qatar and exploring the burgeoning trend of documenting sports in the region through firstperson narratives.
“With the collection of new sports-related books, H KU Press aims to support the State of Qatar by taking the lead in integrating sport and physical activity into the fabric of everyday life,” said Ghenwa Yehia-Malaeb, the content development specialist at H KU Press. “The aim of this webinar was to highlight these objectives by showing how evidence can lead to social change and development in the country and the wider region.”
In addition, the workshop explored the importance of documenting the history of sport, the contributions of athletes and the effectiveness of first-hand narration while unraveling the myths surrounding Qatar’s sporting history.
The moderator, Dr. Danyel Reiche, visiting Associate Professor at Georgetown University in Qatar, explored these topics and more with panelists Dr. Matthias Krug, award-winning author of H KU Press’s Football Carpet Journeys, Dr. Nasser Al-Mohannadi, Qatari Ironman and best-selling author of H KU Press’ How to e an Ironman, and Monika Staab, former coach of Qatar’s National Women’s Football Team.
The discussion was very interesting,” Reiche said.
“Dr. Krug and Dr. Nasser’s publications are important contributions to the literary landscape that document a niche in the history of the country. We also saw that there are many arenas in sports literature that have yet to be explored. I hope that there will be more publications on women’s sport in Qatar in the future as this sector has so much more potential to develop in society.”
Staab echoed this sentiment, saying, “This webinar provided an excellent opportunity to discuss and highlight the marvelous achievements of Qatar’s sporting history.
I was happy to provide insight into the barriers that women still face in order to play this beautiful football game and how literature can help break down these barriers.”
Dr. Krug went on to say, “With such engaging discussions, we are able to show how literature can highlight Qatar’s fascinating sporting history, while also building a path to exploring and documenting its future achievements.”
Dr. Nasser emphasised the invaluable role that H KU Press played in shaping the literary landscape of sports in the region through publications such as his and their community outreach.
“H KU Press does not just publish sports books, but engages the community through outreach programs like this webinar and through school engagement to build a better understanding of athlete and sports in this country.”
The series of webinars hosted by H KU Press will continue throughout the year. For more information, follow their Facebook page (facebook.com/hbkupress) or Twitter and Instagram ( hbkupress) for daily updates.