Another season of Pencil In is upon us!

Pencil In is a writers’ group created to provide a supportive environment for writers to write alone, together! We at 421 love the idea of body-doubling (working near or around someone to help stay focused and engaged) when we are working, writing, and creating.

In these communal writing sessions, we invite you to polish your writing skills while receiving valuable feedback from experienced peer reviewers in English and/or Arabic, having active conversations with other like-minded writers, and enjoying a safe space to share personal texts and works.  Take part to enhance your skills as a writer, or just to write alone with little to no interruptions or judgments. Pencil In will be mentored by an artist or writer from the community.

These sessions are designed for writers to practice their craft without the pressures of producing a final outcome. Drop-ins are welcome.

Each session includes a free cup of coffee from Auro cafe for participating writers.

Open to ages 18 and above.

No prior experience is required, just a love for the written word!

About Peer Reviewers:

Alexa Mena

Alexa Mena is a marketing professional and writer covering culture and wellness. Her work has been featured in Livehealthy Magazine, Gulf News, Harper’s Bazaar, Arab News, Asia Times, and more, where she explores the intersections of art, architecture, and well-being.

Beyond her marketing career, she's drawn to the idea of sublimity in architecture—how built environments can evoke awe and transcendence. Particularly, in how public art can transform cities, creating moments of stillness and wonder amid the everyday.

About Shahad Alsaqqaf:

Shahad Alsaqqaf is an Emirati writer, poet, and multidisciplinary artist who explores storytelling through poetry, music, acting, and spoken word. She is currently a senior at New York University Abu Dhabi, studying Literature and Creative Writing with a minor in Anthropology. Shahad moves fluidly between languages and artistic mediums, embracing the intersections of language, performance, and identity to connect with human experiences.

Her work is deeply rooted in both Arabic and English, weaving between the two to create layered narratives. She has performed at cultural events such as NYUAD Art Center’s Hekayah and Rooftop Rhythms. As a member of Al Diwan, she has published original poetry in its Archival Poetry Collection and led an Arabic poetry writing workshop in collaboration with the Louvre Abu Dhabi.

Beyond the page, Shahad experiments with performance as a mode of storytelling. In New York, she co-wrote and starred in The Real AD show, explored improvisational theater at London’s BRIT School, and made her acting debut in Hamour Doesn’t Leave the Cubicle directed by Reem Almenhali. She has also served as an MC at international events, including the Sharjah International Film Festival, attended by HH Sheikh Sultan Al Qasemi.

Whether through spoken word, music, or performance, Shahad sees storytelling as an act of translation—between languages, emotions, and lived experiences. Her work seeks to be intentional in honoring the beauty of expression across every medium.

Genres & Specializations:

Academic/essay writing, class material, journalistic feature writing, creative writing