Al-Babtain Foundation for Poetic Creativity Announces Winners of Poetry Creativity Awards
The Abdulaziz Saud Al-Babtain Foundation for Poetic Creativity announced yesterday (Monday) the names of the winners of the 20th edition of the Abdulaziz Saud Al-Babtain Prize for Poetic Creativity, through which the foundation continues to support poetry, poets, and critics, enhance the status of the Arabic language, and highlight the cultural and human role of poetry in Arab societies. In a statement, Saud Al-Babtain, chairman of the foundation’s board of trustees, said that reaching the twentieth edition marks an important milestone in a cultural journey that has affirmed since its inception that Arabic poetry is one of the deepest expressions of Arab identity and its living memory, and that it possesses a renewed capacity to express humanity and its issues.
In the prize for poetic criticism, valued at $80,000, the award was shared by Dr. Mohamed Saleh Al-Bouamrani from Tunisia and Dr. Abdelkader Fedouh from Algeria. In the category of the poetry collection, the prize for the best poetry collection, valued at $40,000, was split between Egyptian poet Hassan Shahab al-Din for his collection “Kawkab wa Khamsun Mujarrarah” (Planet and Fifty Galaxies) and Yemeni poet Jaber Baadani for his collection “Raqis al-Tanoura” (The Tanoura Dancer). Nigerian poet Nasser Al-Maliki won the prize for the best youth poetry collection (under 35), valued at $20,000, for his collection “Kannani Huwa” (I Was He).
In the prize for the best poem, valued at $20,000, the award was shared by Iraqi poet Ali Al-Amara for his poem “Hawajis Imru’ al-Qays ‘ala al-Tariq” (The Reveries of Imru’ al-Qays on the Road) and Egyptian poet Saad Al-Qalyi for his poem “Al-Hizb al-Dalil” (The Lost Party). The prize for the best youth poem (under 35), valued at $10,000, was shared by Egyptian poet Hazem Mustafa for his poem “Al-Wahda” (Loneliness) and Palestinian poet Soma Al-Wadi for her poem “Yawmiyat al-Qasf al-Adi” (Diaries of Ordinary Bombing).
Additionally, the honorary prize for creative achievement in poetry, valued at $100,000, was awarded to Syrian poet Abdelkader Al-Husni, in recognition of his poetic career and creative output.
