Zayed Book Award calls for nominations

The Sheikh Zayed Book Award (SZBA) has announced it is now accepting nominations for its 14th edition (the 2019-20 Awards).

The nomination process is open until October 2019, with the call for submissions following the Award’s Presentation Ceremony, held at Louvre Abu Dhabi, under the patronage of Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, in the presence of Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President of the Executive Council of Abu Dhabi, who honoured the winners.

For its last edition, Sheikh Zayed Book Award received a total of 1,500 nominations from around the world, with the Award continuing to recognise writers, translators, novelists and publishers who contribute to promoting the Arabic culture. Dr. Ali bin Tamim, Secretary General of Sheikh Zayed Book Award, expressed he is delighted to witness the continuation of the award’s excellence and support in different fields of knowledge, given the vital role Sheikh Zayed Book Award plays in reinforcing Arab culture on a global scale. HE confirmed that the award’s transparent procedures have strengthened its position at the forefront of literary awards.

All nominated works must have been published in the last two years and should not have been previously recognised by a prominent international prize. The work must be written in Arabic, except for works nominated for the Translation category (translated either from or to Arabic), and the works nominated for the category “Arabic Culture in Other Languages”, which accepts works in English, German, French, Italian and Spanish.

For the Cultural Personality of the Year Award applicants should be nominated by academic, research or cultural institutions, by literary associations and universities or by three intellectually and culturally prominent figures. For the remaining categories, nominees are requested to fill in their nominations online.

The application process and full information on the nomination process can be viewed and accessed from the Award’s website:www.zayedaward.ae.

For its 13th edition, Sheikh Zayed Book Award granted a total of seven awards. Among those honoured were: Moroccan writer and novelist Bensalem Himmich, who won the ‘Literature’ category award; Kuwaiti author Hussain Almutawaa, who won the ‘Children’s Literature’ category; and Algerian scholar Dr. Abderrezak Belagrouz, winner of the ‘Young Author’ category. In the ‘Literary and Art Criticism’ category, scholar Dr. Charbel Dagher from Lebanon won the award. The ‘Arab Culture in Other Languages’ category was won by British academic and researcher Philip F. Kennedy, while the UAE’s Arab Centre for Geographic Literature - Irtiyad al-Afaq won the ‘Publishing and Technology’ category award. Arabic scholars Professor Jaroslav Stetkevych and Professor Suzanne Stetkevych won in the ‘Cultural Personality of the Year’ category.

The Department of Culture and Tourism conserves and promotes the heritage and culture of Abu Dhabi emirate and leverages them in the development of a world-class, sustainable destination of distinction, which enriches the lives of visitors and residents alike. The organisation manages the emirate’s tourism sector and markets the destination internationally through a wide range of activities aimed at attracting visitors and investment. Its policies, plans and programs relate to the preservation of heritage and culture, including protecting archaeological and historical sites and to developing museums, including Zayed National Museum, Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, and the Louvre Abu Dhabi. DCT - Abu Dhabi supports intellectual and artistic activities and cultural events to nurture a rich cultural environment and honor the emirate’s heritage. A key role is to create synergy in the destination’s development through close co-ordination with its wide-ranging stakeholder base.

The Sheikh Zayed Book Award commemorates the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Founding President of the UAE and Ruler of Abu Dhabi, and his pioneering role in promoting national unity and development. The Award, and its associated accolades, are presented annually to outstanding writers, intellectuals, and publishers, as well as young talent whose writing and translation in humanities objectively enriches Arab intellectual, cultural, literary and social life.