Sharjah Award For Arab Creativity Recognises Winners Of Its 28th Edition Across Six Literary Fields

The Department of Culture in Sharjah has revealed the winners of the 28th edition of its prestigious award. This event is held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah. Organised by the Department of Cultural Affairs, this year's competition recognised 18 participants from various Arab nations across six literary categories.

Professor Mohammed Ibrahim Al Qaseer, Director of the Cultural Affairs Department and Secretary General of the Sharjah Award for Arab Creativity, shared insights into this year's competition. He noted that participants hailed from diverse backgrounds, with significant representation from Egypt, Syria, and Algeria. Other countries included Morocco, Jordan, Iraq, Sudan, Yemen, Palestine, Oman, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Mauritania, Nigeria, Lebanon, UAE, Libya, Mali, and Turkiye.

This edition saw a wide range of submissions across different genres: poetry (108 entries), short stories (116 entries), novels (90 entries), theatre (64 entries), and children's literature (79 entries). There were also 13 submissions in literary criticism. The focus was on studying Arabic poetry and exploring its connection between heritage and modernity.

Al Qaseer announced the winners after a thorough evaluation process by the arbitration committee. In poetry, Ala Allah Taher Ala Allah Muhammad Siddiq from Yemen secured first place. In short stories, Batoul Yassin Abu Ali from Syria took the top spot. Marwa Diab Al-Haiji from Syria-Turkiye won in the novel category.

The theatre category saw Hoda Helmy Youssef Metwally from Egypt winning first place. In children's literature, Fatima Abdel Hamid Muhammad Ali from Egypt emerged as the winner. For literary criticism, Mahmoud Wagih Mahmoud Ibrahim Awida from Egypt claimed first place.

Participants came from various countries: 156 from Egypt and 90 from Syria were among the highest numbers. Algeria had 46 participants while Morocco had 43 entrants. Other notable contributions included Jordan with 23 participants and Iraq with 27.

Upcoming Ceremony

The award ceremony to honour these talented individuals will take place in April 2025 at the Cultural Palace in Sharjah. This event will celebrate their achievements and contributions to Arab literature.

With inputs from WAM