ABU DHABI: For the 15th edition of the Sheikh Zayed Book Award, the highest number of submissions have been recorded as its Reading Panel reported reviewing a record 2,349 submissions across nine categories, from 22 Arab and 35 foreign countries.
It is the highest number in the Award’s 14-year history, in a series of virtual sessions presided over by Dr. Ali bin Tamim, Secretary-General of Sheikh Zayed Book Award and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre. The sessions were attended by the Award’s Scientific Committee members Dr. Khalil Al Sheikh and literary critic Sultan Al Ameemi, from Jordan and the UAE, respectively, as well as Dr. Ali Al Kaabi from the UAE.
Compared to the previous edition, which received 1,900 submissions, there is an increase of 23 percent in the 15th edition of the Award. Most of the Arabic language submissions were from Egypt, followed by Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Jordan, Morocco, UAE, Tunisia, and Lebanon. The United Kingdom topped the list of submissions in foreign languages, followed by the USA, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Canada, and the Netherlands.
Submissions received from 12 countries participating for the first time: Armenia, Eritrea, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Niger, Greece, Indonesia, Burkina Faso, South Africa, Belarus, Singapore, Switzerland, and Finland indicates the rising global profile of the Award.
With approximately 28 percent of all submissions, the ‘Young Author’ was the most sought category of the Award while the ‘Literature’ category came second at 25 percent, followed by ‘Contribution to the Development of Nations’ at 11 percent.
Dr. Tamim expressed gratitude to writers, translators, and publishers for their contributions to literature and culture in the times of the pandemic. He also said that Sheikh Zayed Book Award is committed and will continue to foster creativity, originality, and excellence with integrity and transparency, leading the pioneering cultural role of the United Arab Emirates.
The announcement of the Award’s long-list will be in November, paving the way for the second phase in which the Award’s jury will conduct a thorough literary review of all submissions. The shortlist will be selected by the Award’s Scientific Committee at the end of the phase.
Source: WAM
