Sheikh Zayed Book Award celebrates literary contributions enriching Arab culture
30 Apr 2025 00:22
SARA ALZAABI (ABU DHABI)The winners of the 19th edition of the Sheikh Zayed Book Award (SZBA) have expressed their appreciation, highlighting the cultural significance of the award in recognising, supporting and boosting literary works, scholars and emerging talents.The award recognises outstanding works from around the world in the categories of Literature, Children's Literature, Translation, Contribution to the Development of Nations, Literary and Art Criticism, Arab Culture in Other Languages, and Editing of Arabic Manuscripts.This year's winners hail from seven countries, including the UK, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, Iraq, Morocco and the UAE.Organised by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC), the 19th edition of the SZBA received more than 4,000 submissions from 75 countries, including 20 Arab nations.In the Translation category, Italian scholar Marco Di Branco was awarded for his 2024 English translation of "Orosius", a classical work first translated from Latin to Arabic. The bilingual edition features both Arabic and English texts, making the work accessible to a broader audience and shedding light on historical Arab-European cultural exchange."My work focuses on translating a 10th-century CE Greek romance into Arabic under Andalusian caliph al-Ḥakam II," Di Branco said."Remarkably, it was a collaboration between a Muslim and a Christian translator - a powerful example of East-West cooperation."Initially trained in Romance studies, Di Branco shifted focus to explore the intersection of Greek romance and Arab culture.
"The book bridges East and West, offering a beautiful message of cooperation and peace," he added.
Di Branco expressed his appreciation of the recognition."It is a great honour. I am now planning a European project on the Muslim reception of Greek romance."In the Arab Culture in Other Languages category, UK researcher Andrew Peacock won the award for his book "Arabic Literary Culture in Southeast Asia in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries."The book explores Arabic's presence in Southeast Asia, using a wide range of Arabic manuscripts - many from the National Library of Indonesia and other global collections."The book deals basically with the easternmost regions in which Arabic was used, a topic which has never been investigated in a serious way to date by scholars."It also aims to convey a much more comprehensive understanding of the role of Arabic, as a global phenomenon, he added.He also drew attention to the importance of preserving manuscripts, noting that the award reflects how seriously this is taken in the UAE.Lebanese-French author Hoda Barakat won the Sheikh Zayed Book Award for Literature for her 2024 novel "Hind or the Most Beautiful Woman in the World."The story follows a woman with acromegaly and explores life on the margins, questioning beauty standards and societal norms through a rich, introspective voice."I am very happy with this honour, and proud of any international award, let alone one of this magnitude and with such cultural and civilisational significance. Abu Dhabi holds a special place in my heart... This reinforces the sense of balance between the Arab world and the outside world," Barakat said."The Arabic language is not a slogan for them, but a true belief... the committee genuinely supports Arab creativity," she added.Moroccan writer Latifa Labsir won the award for Children's Literature for "The Phantom of Sabiba."The novel, told through the eyes of an older sister, delicately explores autism and its impact on families, blending literary storytelling with educational insight."The novel sheds light on autism, a complex topic that demands both scientific understanding and creative sensitivity. Before writing, I attended workshops, visited centres, and studied extensively to present an honest and artistic portrayal," she said.Labsir added that the story, spanning 21 chapters, follows Raji, a boy on the autism spectrum, and the daily efforts of his family to support him through therapy, speech sessions, and imaginative engagement."I wanted readers to reflect - just as people with autism seem different to us, we also appear different to them. Difference is not a flaw, it's a form of uniqueness," she said.Dr. Said Laouadi from Morocco won the Sheikh Zayed Book Award in the Literary and Art Criticism category for his 2023 book "Food and Language: Cultural Excavations in Arab Heritage."His work explores the deep ties between food and rhetoric in Arab heritage, offering a new lens he terms "cultural rhetoric.""This book sheds light on food in Arabic heritage literature, exploring how it shapes and is shaped by speech. I focused on how food influences rhetorical expression.""It's the result of years of research. I introduced the concept of 'cultural rhetoric' to read heritage texts from a new perspective," he added."This award is a great honour-not a final destination but encouragement to keep exploring and contributing to this field."Rasheed Alkhayoun from Iraq/UK won the Sheikh Zayed Book Award in the Editing of Arabic Manuscripts category for his critical edition of "News of Women."The book is a rare historical and literary resource, considered one of the first global collections of women's works, and reflects deep scholarly insight."Working on 'News of Women' led me to over 250 sources and opened the door to new ideas. While it doesn't explicitly discuss women's rights, it offers a fair and respectful portrayal of women for its time," Alkhayoun said."Winning this award feels like earning a new academic certificate. It's a major milestone in my career because the book underwent thorough scholarly review," he continued.
"The Sheikh Zayed Award has become globally recognised, with winners from all over the world, highlighting its growing cultural influence," Alkhayoun added.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Campaign ME
10 hours ago
- Campaign ME
Here are Campaign Middle East's Work picks from May
Every month, Campaign Middle East selects a collection of 'Work' to display in its monthly issue. The same selection then gets offered to industry professionals for their review in Campaign's Private View section the following month. These are the picks from May – featuring work from Talabat and Kitopi, MG Egypt, Boutiqaat, RAM and McDonald's Saudi. Talabat x Kitopi: See, Eat, Repeat In partnership with Talabat, Kitopi highlighted its top 10 restaurant brands, offering best-selling items for AED 10, for 10 days. The goal? To bring Kitopi's food experiences to the masses. With Hypermedia as the campaign's media partner, Kitopi executed a full-blown out-of-home (OOH) takeover in the UAE. Kitopi also tapped into influencer marketing to amplify messaging across different demographics. The campaign helped Kitopi acquire more than 100,000 new customers. MG Egypt: Well Known, Even If Not Owned To launch the automotive brand's new range, this campaign takes a humorous approach for the Egypt market, highlighting how people who don't even own MG cars, know so much about each of the cars and love them. Given that car prices in Egypt are hitting new highs, and for many people in the nation, owning a car feels out of reach, this campaign aims to make the dream of car ownership possible again. This resonates with Egyptians, showcasing how they talk about cars – like true salespeople – as if they all know the specs, features, and prices, as if they're ready to sell the cars themselves. The campaign was carried across billboards, social media channels, digital channels and TVCs in Egypt. The campaign was brought to life by DDB Egypt, Kino Films, The Barber Shop and Keeva Casting Agency, under the direction of Amr Haddad. Boutiqaat: Ya Hala Campaign This campaign used unconventional Arabic humour to drive app purchases and achieved more than 1 million organic views, making it Boutiqaat's first commercial blockbuster without paid promotion. The campaign aimed to engage audiences through a humorous and engaging narrative, emphasising the festival's excitement and the opportunities available for shoppers. With exaggerated slapstick that includes repeated visual gags, such as characters being thrown through a window, this commercial took the comedic route – a detour from the region's dependance on cultural references. The campaign, brought to life by Shareet Studios, was primarily distributed on social media platforms, including Instagram and TikTok. RAM: RHO Airlines – The Shortest Flight RAM Trucks took to the skies – briefly – to launch its latest performance vehicle with this bold campaign. The creative stunt turned the desert into a runway for what is being described as the world's shortest flight, lasting just 1.2 seconds. The hero film depicted an immersive airport experience in the middle of the desert, complete with check-in counters, security, ground staff, air traffic control and cabin crew. The only thing missing was a plane. Instead, at the centre of the experience was the new RAM RHO 1500. The stunt featured Saudi Arabia's popular influencer duo, The Saudi Reporters: Abdullah and Abdulaziz. In partnership with Publicis Middle East, the spot marks the first phase of a wider brand campaign from Stellantis' RAM in the region. McDonald's Saudi: Menuless The objective of this campaign was to demonstrate how consumers in Saudi Arabia know what their favourite McDonald's products are without having to look at the menu. Therefore, the brand removed its menu across all its restaurants in the Kingdom. Created in collaboration with Leo Burnett Dubai, the campaign ran across outdoor billboards, digital channels and social media, and had an immediate impact, driving a 37 per cent increase in footfall. Outdoor billboards outside the McDonald's drive-thrus displayed messages such as, 'You didn't drive all this way to experiment,' while the in-store menus that are usually displayed on the space behind the counter were replaced with a single line, 'You know what you want.'
Al Etihad
13 hours ago
- Al Etihad
Moscow sees increase in UAE tourists; offers tailored experiences for Gulf visitors
10 June 2025 12:25 MOSCOW (WAM) Chairman of the Moscow City Tourism Committee, Evgeny Kozlov, confirmed that the Russian capital witnessed a notable rise in the number of tourists arriving from the UAE, with 62,100 visitors in 2024 compared to 18,000 in to WAM, Kozlov highlighted the tourism offerings available in Moscow, especially those tailored for visitors from the Gulf pointed out that the city is home to lots of halal restaurants, and that Arabic-speaking services are readily available to enhance the comfort of Gulf visitors. For example, five tourist information centres have been opened in the capital, including locations in the city centre, at the river stations, and in the Dream Island amusement information centre specialists provide support in English and Arabic. A new Tourist Information Centre with Sber's banking services has opened, where travellers can get a Tourist card and 2024, a Muslim-Friendly Guide to Moscow was prepared for travellers from the Middle East, which features recommendations on restaurants and hotels, popular winter and summer activities, sights, parks, and shopping also highlighted the availability of electronic visas (e-visas), which have simplified the entry process for citizens of many countries, making travel to Moscow more convenient and further noted that Moscow offers a variety of cultural, fashion, and culinary experiences, in addition to year-round entertainment and international summer Moscow has launched a vibrant season of festivals and cultural events. The Moscow Estates Festival offers immersive programmes hosted at more than 40 historic estates across the Boulevard will feature 600 performances by 3,000 artists across 14 outdoor venues with a record-breaking 92-day Gardens and Flowers Festival turns city spaces into blooming landscapes with rare plants and floral art."Street. Dance and Street. Art" projects bring open-air dancing, musical evenings, and plein-air art sessions to life in central Moscow, with free master classes and exhibitions on Strastnoy addition, Moscow offers a rich variety of cultural and historical landmarks for visitors including key sites such as the Kremlin, Red Square, and Alexander Garden. Tourists can explore the Bolshoi Theatre and visit the Moskino Film Park, offering immersive cinema tours. Moscow-City adds a contemporary touch with skyscrapers and one of Europe's highest observation visitors can also explore 14 'Made in Moscow' art pavilions, offering locally crafted souvenirs and unique gifts. The Green Market showcases more than 700 top brands from the "Made in Moscow" mentioned that Moscow is one of the greenest megacities, with over 140 parks and natural like Zaryadye Park and Gorky Park combine ecological design with public engagement. Smart lighting, waste management systems, and ecological transport contribute to sustainability goals. Moscow, he added, remains committed to providing a welcoming, comfortable, and modern tourism environment for travellers from across the world.
Dubai Eye
20 hours ago
- Dubai Eye
Frederick Forsyth, 'Day of the Jackal' author, dies at 86
British novelist Frederick Forsyth, who authored best-selling thrillers such as 'The Day of the Jackal' and 'The Dogs of War', has died aged 86, his publisher said. A former correspondent for Reuters and the BBC, and an informant for Britain's MI6 foreign spy agency, Forsyth made his name by using his experiences as a reporter in Paris to pen the story of a failed assassination plot on Charles de Gaulle. The Day of the Jackal, in which an English assassin, played in the film by Edward Fox, is hired by French paramilitaries angry at de Gaulle's withdrawal from Algeria, was published in 1971 after Forsyth found himself penniless in London. Written in just 35 days, the book was rejected by a host of publishers who worried that the story was flawed and would not sell as de Gaulle had not been assassinated. De Gaulle died in 1970 from a ruptured aorta while playing Solitaire. But Forsyth's hurricane-paced thriller complete with journalistic-style detail and brutal sub-plots of lust, betrayal and murder was an instant hit. The once poor journalist became a wealthy writer of fiction. "I never intended to be a writer at all," Forsyth later wrote in his memoir, The Outsider - My Life in Intrigue. "After all, writers are odd creatures, and if they try to make a living at it, even more so." So influential was the novel that Venezuelan militant revolutionary Illich Ramirez Sanchez, was dubbed 'Carlos the Jackal'. Forsyth presented himself as a cross between Ernest Hemingway and John le Carre - both action man and Cold War spy - but delighted in turning around the insult that he was a literary lightweight. "I am lightweight but popular. My books sell," he once said. His books, fantastical plots that almost rejoiced in the cynicism of an underworld of spies, criminals, hackers and killers, sold more than 75 million copies. Behind the swashbuckling bravado, though, there were hints of sadness. He later spoke of turning inwards to his imagination as a lonely only child during and after World War Two. The isolated Forsyth discovered a talent for languages: he claimed to be a native French speaker by the age of 12 and a native German speaker by the age of 16, largely due to exchanges. He went to Tonbridge School, one of England's ancient fee-paying schools, and learned Russian from two emigre Georgian princesses in Paris. He added Spanish by the age of 18. He also learned to fly and did his national service in the Royal Air Force where he flew fighters such as a single seater version of the de Havilland Vampire. Impressing Reuters' editors with his languages and knowledge that Bujumbura was a city in Burundi, he was offered a job at the news agency in 1961 and sent to Paris and then East Berlin where the Stasi secret police kept close tabs on him. He left Reuters for the BBC but soon became disillusioned by its bureaucracy and what he saw as the corporation's failure to cover Nigeria properly due to the government's incompetent post-colonial views on Africa. It was in 1968 that Forsyth was approached by the Secret Intelligence Service, known as MI6, and asked by an officer named "Ronnie" to inform on what was really going on in Biafra. By his own account, he would keep contacts with the MI6, which he called "the Firm", for many years. His novels showed extensive knowledge of the world of spies and he even edited out bits of The Fourth Protocol (1984), he said, so that militants would not know how to detonate an atomic bomb. His writing was sometimes cruel, such as when the Jackal kills his lover after she discovers he is an assassin. "He looked down at her, and for the first time she noticed that the grey flecks in his eyes had spread and clouded over the whole expression, which had become dead and lifeless like a machine staring down at her." After finally finding a publisher for The Day of the Jackal, he was offered a three-novel contract by Harold Harris of Hutchinson. Next came The Odessa File in 1972, the story of a young German freelance journalist who tries to track down SS man Eduard Roschmann, or The Butcher of Riga. After that, The Dogs of War in 1974 is about a group of white mercenaries hired by a British mining magnate to kill the mad dictator of an African republic - based on Equatorial Guinea's Francisco Macias Nguema - and replace him with a puppet. The New York Times said at the time that the novel was "pitched at the level of a suburban Saturday night movie audience" and that it was "informed with a kind of post‐imperial condescension toward the black man". Divorced from Carole Cunningham in 1988, he married Sandy Molloy in 1994. But he lost a fortune in an investment scam and had to write more novels to support himself. He had two sons - Stuart and Shane - with his first wife. His later novels variously cast hackers, Russians, Al Qaeda militants and cocaine smugglers against the forces of good - broadly Britain and the West. But the novels never quite reached the level of the Jackal. A supporter of the United Kingdom's exit from the European Union, Forsyth scolded Britain's elites for what he cast as their treachery and naivety. In columns for The Daily Express, he gave a host of withering assessments of the modern world from an intellectual right-wing perspective. The world, he said, worried too much about "the oriental pandemic" (known to most as COVID-19), Donald Trump was "deranged", Vladimir Putin "a tyrant" and "liberal luvvies of the West" were wrong on most things. He was, to the end, a reporter who wrote novels. "In a world that increasingly obsesses over the gods of power, money and fame, a journalist and a writer must remain detached," he wrote. "It is our job to hold power to account."
