Development Program of the World Organization of Writers “WOW” is aimed at creating a vector of renewal and forming a new narrative – Margarita Al
Interview with the President of the World Organization of Writers (WOW), Margarita Al, Interviewed by Ashraf Aboul-Yazid, Secretary General, Congress of African Journalists (Egypt)
“Development Program of the World Organization of Writers “WOW” is aimed at creating a vector of renewal and forming a new narrative— a humanitarian GPS that will serve as a navigator for humanity in preserving spiritual and moral values in the face of a global cultural and social crisis”. President of WOW, Margarita Al
Ashraf Aboul-Yazid: Margarita, it is a pleasure to speak with you again. In 2023, when we signed the memorandum to establish the World Organization of Writers in Cairo, you were appointed its president. This event was first announced on Nile TV in Egypt. How do you assess the path that WOW has taken over the past year?
Margarita Al: Ashraf, I am also pleased to have this conversation. This past year has been a period of intense work and development for WOW. We have reached a global level of interaction, uniting writers from dozens of countries. The First World Writers’ Congress of WOW, held in Abuja, Nigeria, marked a significant milestone, establishing literary dialogue as an integral part of the humanitarian future. Africa has become part of the global literary community, and we have signed several cooperation agreements, demonstrating the unification of cultural spaces. Now, as Russia prepares to host the Second Congress in 2025, we are strengthening the organization’s strategic direction.
Ashraf Aboul-Yazid: How is WOW developing in Russia, a country with a multinational culture and literary heritage?
Margarita Al: WOW in Russia is an exact reflection of the global literary community. Over the past year, we have established an effective structure for interaction. More than 40 linguistic groups, writers, and native speakers of their languages, who have become part of Russian literature and hold Russian citizenship, are now either members of WOW or candidates whose applications are under review. We have been collaborating with many of them since 2015—many have been published in the LIFFT journal and participated in LIFFT festivals. Therefore, we are celebrating not only WOW’s anniversary but also the tenth anniversary of the All-Russian Literary Project LIFFT (2015–2035), which has served as the foundation for the global history of writers.
Ashraf Aboul-Yazid: What role has the Assembly of the Peoples of Eurasia and Africa played in the development of WOW?
Margarita Al: From the very first day of the Assembly’s existence, we have been working together. The support of such a large organization has led to rapid growth. Before WOW was officially formed, we had already held six Eurasian literary festivals under LIFFT, where we gained the recognition of writers and achieved global prominence. In 2019, at the festival in Azerbaijan, the idea of creating a global writers’ union was first proposed, and writers from 52 countries supported this idea, including Kazakhstan’s national poet, Olzhas Suleimenov. The Assembly became one of the founding members of WOW, alongside the UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, poet, and chairman of WOW’s board, Alexandra Ochirova, and myself, as the president of the organization.
Ashraf Aboul-Yazid: In 2025, Russia will host the Second World Writers’ Congress of WOW. What can we expect from this event?
Margarita Al: The Second Congress will bring together literary leaders from around the world. We anticipate the participation of over 50 chairpersons of writers’ unions from different countries, humanitarian scholars, journalists, editors of literary magazines, outstanding writers, Nobel laureates, Manhae Prize laureates, and all 12 laureates of the WOW Prize. New cooperation agreements will be signed, continuing the tradition of uniting literary communities established in Africa.
At the Congress, key documents will be adopted, the Board of Trustees will be expanded, and new members will receive their membership certificates. The highlight of the event will be the announcement of a new country as the WOW Prize laureate, which will host the Third Writers’ Congress.
Ashraf Aboul-Yazid: Is WOW shaping the global literary agenda?
Margarita Al: WOW is creating an intellectual space where literature becomes a tool for civilization’s development. We do not merely document reality—we rewrite it, creating scenarios for the future where words play a decisive role. In the context of the global crisis, ideas of humanitarian modernization are coming to the forefront. As Alexandra Ochirova aptly put it:
“Today, only a moral and responsible person can save a world overwhelmed by contradictions, poverty, and hunger, inequality, epidemics, and, most frighteningly, misanthropic ideologies such as fascism, nationalism, extremism, and terrorism, which must be permanently removed from humanity’s spiritual and ideological arsenal. This is why issues of humanitarian security and humanitarian modernization must be integrated into all protocols of interaction between countries and peoples.”
This principle is embedded in the WOW memorandum. We are creating not just a literary organization but a humanitarian GPS— a navigator guiding the world toward the preservation of spiritual and moral values. And we propose a new ethical foundation for creativity.
Ashraf Aboul-Yazid: Thank you for this conversation, Margarita. I am confident that WOW will continue to grow and make a significant contribution to world literature.
Margarita Al: Thank you, Ashraf! Interaction between writers from different countries is a mission. Let literature become the key to a future where dialogue, understanding, and creativity prevail over division and crises.
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