Noura al Noman () is a

science fiction Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...

writer from the

United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE), or simply the Emirates, is a country in West Asia, in the Middle East, at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is a Federal monarchy, federal elective monarchy made up of Emirates of the United Arab E ...

(UAE).

Early life

Al Noman studied English at

UAE University United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) () is a public research university located in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates. Founded in 1976 by the country's first President, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, it is the oldest university in the United A ...

and received a master's degree in translation from the

American University of Sharjah The American University of Sharjah (AUS; Arabic: الجامعة الأميركية في الشارقة) is a private university in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. It was founded in 1997 by Sultan bin Muhammad Al-Qasimi, Supreme Council Member a ...

. She represented the UAE in the 2013

Abu Dhabi International Book Fair The Abu Dhabi International Book Fair is an annual book fair held in Abu Dhabi. It provides a platform where publishers, booksellers, agents, cultural organisations and press can meet, exchange ideas and identify business opportunities. Since 2 ...

Novels

Her first novel, ''Ajwan'', was published in 2012 and won the Best YA Book Award of the Etisalat Children's Books Award in 2013. Al Noman said that she wrote the novel because she was unable to find

young adult In medicine and the social sciences, a young adult is generally a person in the years following adolescence, sometimes with some overlap. Definitions and opinions on what qualifies as a young adult vary, with works such as Erik Erikson's stages ...

science fiction in Arabic for her daughter to read, noting that both teenage fiction and science fiction were virtually non-existent in Arabic. The novel follows the titular heroine, a 19-old girl, on an interplanetary quest to rescue her infant son from a nefarious organization who wants to turn him into a super-soldier. According to al Noman, the plot reflects contemporary political concerns in Arabic countries, in that it describes "men who have a hidden agenda to acquire power, and they use the pain and suffering of minorities or marginalised peoples to turn them into their own private armies". A sequel to ''Ajwan'', ''Mandaan'', was published in 2014. More sequels are planned.

Works

*''Qutta Qutna'' (Cotton the Kitten), children's illustrated book, 2010, Kalimat *''Kunfuth Kiwi'' (Kiwi the Hedgehog), children's illustrated book, 2010, Kalimat * (''Ajwan''), novel, 2012, Nahdet Misr, * (''Mandaan''), novel, 2014, Nahdet Misr,

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Noman, Noura al Living people Women science fiction and fantasy writers Emirati novelists Emirati science fiction writers Emirati women novelists United Arab Emirates University alumni American University of Sharjah alumni Year of birth missing (living people)