What We Do Best
We connect with writers in Saudi and publishing professionals alike, to find the best way we can support writers in their quest to get their best work published. Because the Alf Kalimah team is made up of writers in Saudi, we understand your challenges and your needs, and we work hard to help you overcome and meet them.
What is Alf Kalimah?
Alf Kalimah is a literary agency that helps writers in Saudi Arabia get published (and get paid!). To do this, we host events and activities that help you polish your work and increase the quality of your writing, and then we connect you to publishers and organizations looking to hire writers.
Who will benefit from Alf Kalimah?
Serious writers who:
- aim to produce quality writing for the main purpose of getting published and getting paid
- are willing to invest time and money in writing
- are willing to work hard to improve their craft
- are self-learners, and for whom research and “doing homework” is second-nature
- are actively looking for publishers
- have completed – or are completing – their manuscripts and want to know the next step in getting published
- are seeking constructive criticism and feedback on their manuscripts
We support all kinds of writers – authors, novelists, journalists, scriptwriters, copywriters, etc – whether they are writing in English or Arabic.
How did Alf Kalimah start?
We started out in August 2017 as a small group of aspiring writers meeting up in Jeddah twice a week for a few hours to discuss writing techniques while writing our books. With time, more and more writers joined us, and we grew into a writing community. To this day, we meet once a week for 3 hours to write together. Check our Events page for more info on when and where we do our weekly Write-ins
Who started Alf Kalimah and why?
Alf Kalimah was co-founded by Amirah Bougary, a published author and businesswoman, and Nessreen Tamano, a writer/editor and publishing manager, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, after discovering many talented writers in the community who needed just a little bit of support (and a nudge or two!) to complete their books and get published.
They also noticed a gap in the publishing industry in Saudi Arabia that resulted in both writers and publishers not being able to connect with each other to produce quality literature coming from the Kingdom. Alf Kalimah aims to fill that gap.
Our Awesome Team
Amirah Bougary
Co-Founder & Chief Arabic Editor
Amirah holds degrees in Computer Science and Applied Mathematics, has a Master’s in Business Administration, and is an independent author with several Amazon bestsellers to her penname.
Nessreen Tamano
Co-Founder & Chief English Editor
Nessreen is an editorial consultant who has worked in the publishing industry, both in Saudi Arabia and Malaysia for 9 years. She is a writer, editor, content producer, and publishing manager.
Sara Ali
Web Developer
Programmer, Gamer and Traveler,
Abrar
Publishing Assistant
Abrar is a teacher, writer, traveler and a passionate hobby explorer. She likes to pick up new languages, dance to random music and document her weird adventures. Sports, abstract arts and history museums are her muse.
Walaa
Content Producer
Walaa is a mechanical engineer, an environmentalist, and a strong advocate for engineering a sustainable future. She loves to write, dance, and draw. Cats and books are her best friends.
Our Values
Productivity
By holding weekly write-ins to push you to actually write.
Peer learning and self-learning
Writers share and discuss writing techniques, and are encouraged to build and use skills to find more resources to support their writing.
Commitment and accountability
With a group that shares the same goals, a support system of writers that check in on each other’s progress both online and offline.
Constructive feedback
That focuses on being respectful and productive, with the goal of elevating the quality of their writing.