Photo via pr2live.com

If students are encouraged to shoot for the moon, the work of NYU Abu Dhabi freshman Dubai Abulhoul is proving that the moon is not quite as lofty a goal as it may seem — especially for young people.

As an eleven-year-old in 2008, Abulhoul was awarded Youngest Filmmaker at the Gulf Film Festival for a short titled “Galagolia.” Soon after, Abulhoul completed the manuscript for her first novel, “Galagolia: The Hidden Divination.” In early 2012, Jerboa Books, a UAE-based company, published the book and has since sold 2,440 copies around the country, said Latih Shaker, the publishing coordinator at Jerboa Books. Abulhoul is now the youngest published Emirati.

Yet she does not linger on her age.

“Age is, in fact, nothing but a number,” Abulhoul said at her talk on TEDxDubai in 2009.

Shaker said that the company felt no hesitations when Abulhoul approached them with her manuscript.

“We were very keen to publish her book,” he said. The whole process took two years, which is longer than usual. Both Abulhoul and Jerboa Books proceeded slowly and carefully, in order to produce the book just the way the author envisioned it.

Shaker also added that “Galagolia” was special, particularly because it was not originally written in Arabic.

“It’s … something unique in the UAE,” said Shaker. “We never had similar [books] in English.”

According to Shaker, there are not many authors in the UAE that are writing in English. However, he thinks it would be beneficial for Emirati authors to begin producing works in English so as to connect more easily and effectively with international markets and audiences.

Abulhoul's book is already on Amazon, but her work has not stopped there. She has a clear goal in her mind for the future.

“I want to be the first Arab to ever get an Oscar,” she said at TEDxDubai.

Exclusively to The Gazelle, Abulhoul offered her thoughts on her trajectory as a young student and author in the UAE.

THE GAZELLE: Tell me about the first project — be it an animation, a story, a poem — that you ever worked on.

DUBAI ABULHOUL: The first project I worked on was a script for “Galagolia.” I wrote it originally [as] a movie when I was 11, then turned it into a book.

TG: What was your inspiration for your book?

DA: I'm an inspiration junkie. I get inspired from the most random things. Inspiration drives my ambition, especially as a creative person. “Galagolia” was inspired by Harry Potter.

TG: How did you feel during the process of writing and publishing a book?

DA: I suffered from the opposite of writer's block. I had the idea clearly visualized in my head, but I couldn't put it into words. The process of writing and publishing were both equally rewarding.

TG: How do you see the arts playing a role in the UAE?

DA: There is definitely an emerging market for art in the UAE. Both Art Dubai and Art Abu Dhabi are playing a huge role in the progress of art and creation in the country. Also, in comparison to a few years ago, schools are giving more attention to arts.

TG: Tell me about the reactions you've gotten from others about your ambitious goals.