Sheikh Zayed Book Award brings packed calendar of seminars to Abu Dhabi International Book Fair 2022

on May 24, 2022

The Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC), which is part of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), is participating in this year's edition of the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair (ADIBF) with a packed schedule of seminars from May 23 to 29.

SZBA, now in its 16th edition, will present some of its main cultural achievements to book fair attendees. More than 3,000 entries were received this year from 55 nations throughout the world, including 20 Arab countries.

The awardees, who include seven writers and intellectuals as well as an Egyptian publishing business, will be honoured at a ceremony on Tuesday, May 24th at 11 a.m. at the Louvre Abu Dhabi.

The workshop will cover the value of literary prizes in popularising writers as well as the function of literary awards in encouraging the Arabic publishing and writing industries. Experts will also discuss how to improve Arabic literary prize programmes for global publication of Arabic literature and translation initiatives, as well as how to build initiatives to support the book publishing sector in light of current challenges.

Dr Ali Bin Tamim, Chairman of the ALC and Secretary-General of the Sheikh Zayed Book Award; Ali Khalifa, Secretary-General of the Isa Award for Service and Humanity, Bahrain; Abdul Aziz Alsebail, Secretary-General of the King Faisal Prize, Saudi Arabia; Dr Taleb Al Rifai, Chairman of the Al Multaqa Prize for the Arabic Short Story, Kuwait; Dr Hisham Azmi, Secretary-General of the Naguib Mah

On Wednesday, May 25th at 2pm, a session titled 'Crossing Borders: Arab Literature in the World Today' will be presented in partnership with the cultural organisation Litprom.

It will focus on Arab and contemporary writers' contributions to international literature, the significance of awards and cultural initiatives in promoting literature, and other literature-related topics.

Iman Mersal, the winner of the Sheikh Zayed Book Award for Literature in 2021; Leila Chammaa, a German-Lebanese translator; and Laurenz Bolliger, Senior Editor at Hoffman Und Campe, will be among the speakers, as will moderator Stefan Weidner, a German literary critic and translator.

SZBA will conduct a discussion with the winners of the 16th edition of the awards on the same day, chaired by Bin Tamim and mediated by Dr. Khalil Al Sheikh, a member of the SZBA Scientific Committee.

The Literature Award was given to Emirati poet and novelist Maisoon Saqer; the Children's Literature Award was given to Syrian author Maria Daadoush; the Young Author Award was given to Tunisian writer Dr Mohamed Al-Maztouri; the Literary and Arts Criticism Award was given to Moroccan writer Mohamed Aldahi; the Translation Award was given to Egyptian translator Dr Ahmed Aladawi; the Arab Culture in Other Languages Award was given to Iraqi-American scholar

The SZBA winners will sign copies of their books in the Book Signing Corner in Hall 11 of ADIBF later that evening at 7 p.m.

Sorbonne Institution Abu Dhabi will offer a seminar on Thursday, May 26th at 10.30 a.m., featuring former and present SZBA winners Mohamed Aldahi, Maisoon Saqar, and Iman Mersal, as well as Hana Subhi, Professor of French Language and Literature at the university. Participants will talk about their literary endeavours as well as the SZBA's role in introducing and popularising Arabic literature.