Emirates LitFest opens with poetry recital

Imran Mojib, Special Correspondent

Oratory and performance skills were on display at the grand finals of the Emirates NBD Poetry for All competition, which marked opening of the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature on Tuesday. The poetry performances culminated the competition which showcased individual interpretations of favourite poems, and paid homage to the time-honoured Emirati tradition of poetry recital.

Winners were chosen by a panel of Festival poets and judges including Martin Kiszko, Carlos Andrés Gómez, Afra Atiq for the English categories, and Farah Chamma, Jan Dost, Zainab Al Blooshi for the Arabic entries.

The Poetry for All competition attracted a large number of entrants, competing across the two age group categories of the competition, 8-13 and 14-18, in addition to a non-competitive performance category for students of determination.

“This year the performances have been outstanding,” said Hesham Abdulla Al Qassim, Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Emirates NBD. “It’s inspiring to see the enthusiasm these young people have for performance poetry. We are delighted to support this competition, not only because it celebrates the Emirati tradition of poetry recital, but because it provides an opportunity for young people and people of determination within our community to express themselves and showcase their theatrical talents — it’s inspiring and exciting for everyone involved.”

Thais Day Martinez from JESS Jumeirah, Teya Taslan from Safa British School and Isabel McGuiness from Dwight School won the top three positions in the category of 8–13 years old.

Aneesh Set from Delhi Private School, Inshira Meer from the British International School and Sana Feroz from The Millennium School secured the top three positions in the category of 14–18 years old.

The Festival programme is brimming with sessions to engage, entertain and inform, with topics encompassing fiction, history, current affairs, food, health, travel, biography, business and more. There are opportunities to appreciate poetry, take part in creative writing workshops and generally indulge in intelligent and articulate discussion on a wide range of topics. Sessions appeal to all ages and nationalities, featuring outstanding authors, thinkers and opinion-makers.