Afrah Al-Mubarak: Culture is Built Not by Noise, but by Quiet Voices That Leave a Mark

Under the patronage and in the presence of Sheikha Afrah Al-Mubarak Al-Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the Kuwait Writers Association held an evening event yesterday to announce the winners of the Association’s Award in its second edition, 2026. The cultural evening saw wide attendance by writers, intellectuals, ambassadors, and members of the Association’s Board of Directors.

The ceremony, hosted by Reem Al-Siraj, opened with a short film about the award, which was launched in its first edition in 2025, reflecting the conviction that nations are elevated by their sons and daughters, and that the written word is the foundation upon which national consciousness is built.

In her address, patron of the award Sheikha Afrah Al-Mubarak Al-Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah said, “I am delighted to meet with you today as we together light the candle of the second year of this award. This award was born from a simple yet profound belief that a beautiful word does not end with its author; rather, it begins with him, then moves forward to create an impact, open a window, and perhaps change a life.”

She added, “In its second year, I do not see this award merely as a tribute to the winners, but as a space we open for literature so that it remains present in our lives, and for creators so that they find someone to tell them: ‘We read you, and we believe in your voices.’”

She continued, “Culture is not built with noise, but with those quiet voices that leave an indelible mark on the soul; with a book that is opened, a poem that is read, and an idea that finds its way into the light.”

She recalled the words of our late poet Ali Al-Sabti: “A single poem can suffice for our loved ones instead of an entire collection,” adding, “For perhaps a fleeting word outlives the lifespan of its speaker.”

The Secretary-General of the Association, Mr. Abdullah Al-Busais, delivered a speech in which he said, “We gather today to celebrate the winners and to fulfill, in part, the debt we owe to language; the language that preserves us from oblivion.”

He extended his gratitude to Sheikha Afrah Al-Mubarak for her support and patronage, stating, “The award embodies loyalty to the noble history of her family in serving science and literature. With pride, I recall her grandfather, the late Sheikh Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the pioneer of Kuwait’s scientific and cultural renaissance, who early on recognized that building the individual is the foundation of building the nation. He embraced education, patronized literature, presided over the Literary Club, and contributed to laying the foundations of the cultural life upon which the Kuwait Writers Association grew. We in the Kuwait Writers Association remember this debt with gratitude, and we see our journey as an extension of his legacy. What we witness today in the support of his granddaughter is a continuation of those steps and an extension of his path.”

Al-Busais added, “Literature, at its core, is an engagement with human life. It is one of the fortresses of our national unity, preserving our shared memory and giving our diverse voices the opportunity to be heard and understood.”

Dr. Abbas Al-Haddad, head of the jury for the second edition, said, “The award’s jury consisted of five distinguished professors who agreed among themselves to establish judging criteria that ensure objectivity in selection through specific standards and points allocated to each submitted work. Scores are then aggregated according to these criteria, and the winning work is the one that achieves the highest total score, in accordance with the rules adopted by the committee.”

In his remarks, Al-Haddad expressed his thanks and appreciation to the jury members, who were Dr. Asma Al-Sarhan, Dr. Ali Al-Rifai, Dr. Abdullah Al-Otaibi, and novelist Khaled Al-Nassarallah.