The first title published in what would become an anthology series, Qatar Narratives, was co-sponsored by the Middle East Partnership Initiative of the U.S. State Department (MEPI) and Qatar University. The inaugural title featured an essay contest open to all female residents of Qatar and was published in both English and Arabic.

The MEPI program sponsors projects throughout the Middle East region in areas that include politics, education, economics, and women’s issues. This particular MEPI, one of several in Qatar, focused on empowering women to express their thoughts on social issues.  The entries were judged by U.S. based writer Carol Henderson and Doha based educational consultant Mohanalakshmi Rajakumar, both of whom co-edited the volume.

Cover of the essay anthology, Qatar Narratives, designed by Virgina Commonwealth University in Qatar professor Halim Chouiery. Download the essays in this volume as a .pdf document here: Qatar_Narratives English.

The anthology project is the first of its kind in Doha and was featured widely in the local news, sparking a second title that would include male as well as female writers.

A second title, Qatar: Then and Now was published in February 2009.