Abu Dhabi: The Sheikh Zayed Book Award (SZBA) has declared the champions of its 17th edition, which witnessed the most significant number of entries in all of the nine categories since its inception, with 3,151 entries from 60 countries, including 22 Arab countries and 38 countries from around the world.
Organized by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC), under the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), the award is held under the patronage of President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
The Sheikh Zayed Book Award is symbolic of the revival of Arab intellectual, cultural and social life through a literary lens. The 17th edition of the award is the latest milestone in a ground-breaking journey that has, over many years, showcased prominent works from the Arab region and beyond to ever wider audiences, enabling everyone to participate and share their talents on the world stage.
Mr. Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, member of the SZBA Board of Trustees, commented.
Dr. Ali bin Tamim, Secretary-General of the SZBA and Chairman of the ALC, remarked that “the Sheikh Zayed Book Award reflects our wise leadership’s commitment to promoting the significance of books as a central point for the convergence of global cultures, encouraging the exchange of ideas and cultures, and producing new literary and cultural works that enrich intellectual life in the UAE, the region, and the world.”
In the Literature category, Ali Jaafar Alallaq from Iraq won for his book, ‘Ila Ayn Ayyathouha Al Kaseedah’ (‘Whereto, O Poem?’ An Autobiography), issued by Alaan Publishing, Jordan, in 2022. The book provides valuable insights into Alallaq’s poetic experiences and is a significant contribution to the genre. Mathieu Tillier from France won the Arab Culture in Other Languages category for his book ‘The Invention of the Cadi: Justice among Muslims, Jews, and Christians during the First Centuries of Islam,’ published by Editions de la Sorbonne in 2017.
Mr. Said Khatibi from Algeria won the Young Author category for his novel ‘Nehayat Al Sahra’a’ (The End of the Desert), published by Hachette Antoine/Nofal in 2022. Mr. Chokri Al Saadi from Tunisia won in the Translation category for his translated book ‘Al-Ibara wa-al-Mi’na: Dirasat fi Nathariyat al-A’amal al-Lughawiya’ (Expression and Meaning: Studies in the Theory of Speech Acts) by Mr. John R. Searle, published by the Ministry of Cultural Affairs – Tunisian Institute for Translation in 2021 and translated from English to Arabic.
Dr. Jalila Al Tritar from Tunisia won the Art and Literary Criticism category for her book ‘Mara’i an-Nisaa’: Dirasat fi Kitabat al-That an-Nisaa’iya al-Aarabiya’ (‘Women Views: Studies on Arab Women Self Writings’), published by La Maison Tunisienne Du Livre in 2021. The winner of the Publishing and Technology category was the Egyptian publishing house, Dar ElAin Publishing, a cultural institution that seeks to engage with reality and develop book writing in both content and form.