Abu Dhabi: Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, the Sheikh Zayed Book Award held a hybrid ceremony on Monday evening to honour the winners of its 15th edition. The ceremony was held on the sidelines of the 30th Abu Dhabi International Book Fair at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Centre (Adnec) in the presence of a number of officials, writers and winners.
This year, the award has surpassed its former records for entries with a 23 per cent increase of submissions totaling 2,349 nominations. Since its launch in 2006, the Sheikh Zayed Book Award has inducted 106 winners and received 19,000 nominations from 71 countries for its nine categories. The Award’s total value is Dh7 million.
Sheikh Zayed Book Award at AIDBF: Its Cultural Program
In four important programs at the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, the Sheikh Zayed Book Award will present commentary from and conversation with many of its winners, from both 2020 and 2021.
Image: Sheikh Zayed Book Award
Award Ceremony on Monday
During the upcoming 30th edition of the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair running Sunday (May 23) through May 29 the Sheikh Zayed Book Award not only will hold its annual ceremony to honor its 2021 winners in eight categories, but will also will produce a cultural program reflective of its 15-year mission on select, recognize, and promote the work of outstanding writers, intellectuals, and publishers as well as young talent whose writing and translation in the humanities objectively enriches Arab intellectual, cultural, literary, and social life.
Abu Dhabi International Book Fair Outlines Its 2021 Programming
The Abu Dhabi International Book Fair’s programming is to be entirely streamed live, free of charge, May 23 to 29.
At the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, the 2019 edition. Image: ADIBF
Today (May 11), this major Arab world public-facing show’s umbrella producing bodies the Department of Culture and Tourism and its Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre have announced the outlines of a program that’s expected to be posted soon to the show’s site.
Featured speakers are to include the American author Tayari Jones, the British motivational speaker Vex King, International Publishers Association president Bodour Al Qasimi, bestselling writer Mitch Albom, and the Emirati author Sultan Al Amimi.
UAE: Joint letter on nomination for the Sheikh Zayed Book Award
Also available in: Arabic
Dr Saeed El-Masry
Dear winners of the Sheikh Zayed Book Award,
We, the undersigned organisations, write to urge you to decline the Sheikh Zayed Book Award, and withdraw from the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair which will be held from 23 to 29 May 2021. As you are aware, on 2 May, prominent German philosopher Juergen Habermas stated he would not accept the Award of the “Cultural Personality of the Year 2021” as a result of the “close connection of the institution (the Department of Culture and Tourism), which awards these prizes in Abu Dhabi, with the existing political system.”
Sheikh Zayed Book Award Announces 2021 Winners
Three women win including Iman Mersal for the Literature Prize, with additional awards to a study of Saudi Women writers, Arab oration, and a history of supremacy.by BWW News Desk
Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces, the Sheikh Zayed Book has revealed the winners of its 15th edition across eight key categories.
Three women took prizes this year with internationally-renowned Egyptian author Iman Mersal, winning the Literature Prize, Dr. Asma bint Muqbil bin Awad Al-Ahmadi taking the Young Author Prize for her critical study of Saudi Women writers, and University of Chicago professor Tahera Qutbuddin winning the Prize for Culture in Other Languages for her book Arabic Oration: Art and Function.