Afrah Al-Sabah: 'Kuwaiti Writers' Award to Support Creativity and Foster Local and Arab Literary Presence

The Kuwaiti Writers Association will celebrate the winners of the second edition of the Kuwaiti Writers Association Award on the 7th of this month at its headquarters in the Adailiya area, during a cultural evening held under the patronage of Sheikhah Afrah Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah, in honor of the written word and in recognition of creativity and its practitioners, with a wide attendance of literary, cultural, and public figures.

The award is held for the second consecutive year under the patronage of Sheikhah Afrah Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah, who initiated its launch last year to support projects and plans aimed at developing the role of the Kuwaiti Writers Association and enhancing its presence in the local and Arab cultural landscape. The award was first launched in 2025 and witnessed competition among 52 applicants across four categories: the novel, poetry, children’s literature, and literary criticism, before honoring the winners at the opening of the Association’s cultural season.

In an interview with “Al-Jarida,” Sheikhah Afrah expressed her happiness over the new edition of the award and all its participants, including the winners, emphasizing the importance of supporting Kuwaiti literary creativity and enhancing the presence of writers and authors in the local and Arab cultural landscape. This stems from a deep belief in the importance of books and embodies individual and governmental cooperation, extending a social responsibility inherent to the people of Kuwait.

She affirmed that the award seeks to highlight various stakeholders in the book industry, starting with the publisher as the first link in this industry, through to the writer and author as the core of the creative process. It also aims to strengthen the role and cultural status of the Kuwaiti Writers Association, revive cultural media and restore their role, and boost young people’s confidence in themselves and in the cultural path, encouraging them to enter the creative field with determination and without hesitation.

Sheikhah Afrah believes that literary awards serve as a key driver for highlighting the presence of writers and intellectuals, while also contributing to activating cultural and economic activity that benefits authors and publishers, and opening broader horizons for writers to reach global audiences through the translation of their works and their introduction in multiple languages and cultures.

She stated that the award fundamentally embodies individual and governmental cooperation and extends a deep social responsibility linked to Kuwait’s cultural history. She explained that cultural and literary activity in Kuwait began with individual and popular efforts stemming from a spirit of knowledge and openness, then evolved over time into forms of institutional and governmental cooperation, combining thought, action, creativity, and initiative.

The 2026 edition will cover four literary categories: the novel, the short story, the dramatic text, and the critical essay focusing on a Kuwaiti literary work. This reflects the diversity of writing fields targeted by the award. The winners of the best novel and best dramatic text awards will receive 5,000 Kuwaiti dinars each, while the best short story award is valued at 2,000 dinars, and the best critical essay award at 1,000 dinars.

The Kuwaiti Writers Association had previously announced the opening of nominations for the second edition in January last year. It required applicants to be members of the Association, ensured that the submitted work had been published no more than three years prior, and confirmed that the work had not previously been entered for the award competition. Applicants were also required to complete the submission form and provide five copies of the nominated work. The nomination period closed on May 1, 2026.

The celebration held this October will crown the second edition of the award, which, through its patronage, seeks to support literary creativity and encourage writers and creators. Since its inception, the award has aimed to consolidate its presence within the Kuwaiti and Arab literary landscape and to strengthen the role of the Kuwaiti Writers Association as one of the cultural institutions supporting the written word and creativity.