Our emotions not only put us in tune with our senses, but also allow us to engage with and perceive others. In turn, the two coexist, enabling relationality and connection. For years, author Touhfat Mouhtare has revered writers who approach and develop characters by evoking all of the different senses rather than relying solely on description, which typically only concerns sight. For Mouhtare, this approach is key in helping readers gain understanding of a character without reverting only to outward appearance, which often hinges on judgement or personal bias. An emphasis on senses and emotions enables a compromise of sorts between objectivity and subjectivity.

The workshop Crafting Memorable Characters is hosted by Mouhtare as part of Middle Ground: Hargeysa International Book Fair. The Middle Ground workshops offer the possibility to deepen one’s own writing practice and to be in exchange with other authors about issues around writing. Participants from all age groups, whether amateur writers, professionals, or literary scholars, are invited to join. 

To register: please submit a short text (fiction, poetry) of 500 words max., indicating the workshop you wish to register for in the subject line, to: middleground@hkw.de.

The deadline for submissions is 18.9.2024. As places are limited, selected participants will be contacted no later than 21.9.2024.