The Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC), part of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), continues to receive local and international submissions for the first edition of the recently launched ”Kanz Al Jeel Award”.
Even more are expected in the coming weeks, with the call for entries to open until 30th July, 2022.
The award, launched by the ALC recently, celebrates the rich history and heritage of Nabati poetry, a form of vernacular poetry that stems from the many varieties of Arabic in the Arabian Peninsula, which contrasts the poetry written according to the classical rules of literary Arabic.
The award honours Nabati poetic works, as well as folk studies and research studies into the subject. It aims to preserve the traditional heritage of Nabati poetry for the next generation.
The award’s six categories include ‘Poetic Matching’, which seeks to match the poetry of the late founder of the nation, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, specifically his poem ‘Ya’al Nou Banat Mazoona’; ‘Studies and Research’ which reviews and assesses academic and scholarly research into Nabati poetry; and ‘Arts’, this year open to artistic works of Arabic calligraphy that embody Sheikh Zayed’s poetry.
The ‘Translation’ category considers works translating Sheikh Zayed’s poetry into one or more languages or works that have rendered a great service in translating Arabic poetry into other languages, while ‘Poetic Publications’ is open to Nabati poetry books that demonstrate originality in form and content, and constitute a qualitative addition to the Nabati poetry canon. Finally, the ‘Creative Personality’ award is presented to a figure who has produced outstanding creative works in Nabati poetry, its studies, music, singing or painting.
Issa Saif Al Mazrouei, the award’s Higher Committee Chairman, Vice Chairman of Abu Dhabi’s Cultural, Heritage Programmes and Festivals Management Committee, noted that the great diversity in entries received by the Award, both from inside and outside the UAE, confirms the close connection between the people of the region and the Arabian Nabati poetic heritage.
“Poetry reflects the core elements and values of a society, narrating both its history and future aspirations. The Nabati poetry canon, in particular, boasts some of the most compelling artistic and poetic creations of all time and uniquely expresses the collective identity of the Arabian region. It is essential that we keep this art form alive for future generations. To this end, the Kanz Al Jeel Award will contribute to creating a critical new poetic movement, using the art of our country’s founding father, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, as inspiration and as a starting point for establishing more broad creative horizons in the field of poetry. The award will link new generations to their culture and authentic heritage, of which Nabati poetry is one of its most important pillars,” Al Mazrouei said.
Thus far, the award’s ‘Poetic Matching’ and ‘Studies and Research’ categories have received the highest percentages of entrants, registering 54 percent and 27 percent of all submissions respectively. The ‘Arts’ category has received 7 percent of applications, while the ‘Translation’, ‘Poetic Publications’ and ‘Creative Personality’ categories have each received four percent.
The award’s Higher Committee has set special conditions for participation. Nominated works must demonstrate a high level of originality and innovation and represent a significant addition to the cultural canon. Each candidate can submit only a single entry for one of the categories. A nominated work cannot be submitted for another category in person or by proxy in the same year.
Nominated works must be written in Arabic, except for the ‘Translation’ and ‘Studies and Research’ categories, which consider poems translated from Arabic into other languages.
Conditions include that the submitted work must contain an International Standard Book Number (ISBN) to guarantee property rights and that poetic, scholarly or translated works must be published, provided that no more than five years have passed since its publication. An exception is made in the ‘Translation’ category, which accepts submission of unpublished works.
Nominations for the ‘Creative Personality’ category are only open to academic, research and cultural institutions which have actively contributed to enriching local and Arabic poetic, critical, or artistic movements.
The total cash prize value of all six categories of the award totals AED1.5 million, and the winners will be announced in November 2022.
Source: Emirates News Agency