Global authors reflect on identity, emotion and truth

The importance of personal truth and inclusion in storytelling took the spotlight at the 44th Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF 2025), where authors from across Africa and the Americas joined in a powerful conversation on the universality of human experience and the need for authenticity in an increasingly digital world.

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The panel discussion, titled “Tales of Belonging” and moderated by television host and journalist Layla Mohammad, explored how real-life experiences, identity and cultural heritage form the backbone of compelling literature.

Jeffrey Mason, bestselling American author and founder of “Hear Your Story,” reflected on how his father's death from Alzheimer's inspired him to help others record their life stories. “The two-paragraph obituary didn't do justice to my dad's life,” he shared. “Every single person has an amazing, one-of-a-kind story that deserves to be heard and preserved for generations.”

Mason cautioned against overreliance on artificial intelligence in storytelling, saying that “Al will never be able to express the human experience and emotion.” He also warned that it risks narrowing creative diversity: “The gatekeepers decide which stories get told and who tells them, and that leaves out so many voices.”