GEA Seeks Submissions From Arabic Writers For Prestigious Golden Pen Award

Turki bin Abdulmohsen Alalshikh, Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority (GEA), announced that Arabic-speaking writers can now submit their works for the Golden Pen Award. This award recognises the most influential literary work, and winning scripts may be adapted into movies by GEA.

Applications for the award, sponsored by Minister of Culture Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan, will be accepted until September 30. The first list of submissions will be revealed on November 30, followed by a shortlist on December 30. The awards ceremony is scheduled for February and is expected to attract prominent writers, intellectuals, filmmakers, and actors.

The Golden Pen Award features six categories: grand prizes, novel, screenplay, best-translated novel, best Arab publisher, and audience award. The total prize value is $740,000. For both the grand prizes and screenplay categories, first-place winners will receive $100,000 and movie production; second-place winners will get $50,000 and movie production; third-place winners will earn $30,000.

In the novel category, there are eight prizes worth $25,000 each. These include best suspense and thriller novel, best mystery and crime novel, best romance novel, best fantasy novel, best comedy novel, best historical novel, best horror novel, and best realistic novel.

Additional Awards

The best-translated novel will be awarded $100,000. The best Arab publisher will receive $50,000. The audience award is valued at $30,000. Public voting for this category will open on the award's website at a later date.

This initiative aims to encourage creativity among Arabic-speaking writers by recognising their contributions to literature and providing opportunities for their works to reach wider audiences through film adaptations.

With inputs from SPA