The Scientific Committee of the Sheikh Zayed Book Award (SZBA) at the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC), part of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), held a meeting to review the recommendations of judging panels in preparation for the shortlisting stage of the 17th edition of the award.

The meeting was chaired by His Excellency Dr. Ali bin Tamim, Secretary-General of the SZBA and Chairman of the ALC, with the members of the Scientific Committee in attendance: HE Saeed Hamdan Al-Tunaiji, Executive Director of the ALC, Prof. Dr. Khalil Al-Sheikh from Jordan, Dr. Badria Al Bishr from Saudi Arabia, Juergen Boos from Germany, Prof. Floréal Sanagustin from France, Dr. Nadia El Cheikh from Lebanon, Dr. Amany Gadallah from Egypt, and Mustafa Al-Sulaiman from Jordan/Germany.

His Excellency Dr. Ali bin Tamim said: “The Scientific Committee of the Sheikh Zayed Book Award plays a pivotal role in developing the award and brings a wealth of expertise that enhances the award’s standing in international literary and cultural circles. We appreciate their efforts and valuable contributions, which not only develops the award itself, but ultimately strengthens UAE’s cultural and literary scene. We are looking forward to enriching the cultural movement in the region in this 17th edition and the following cycles, paving the way for more ambitious goals in the future.”

The SZBA shortlists is set to be announced in March 2023 for all eight categories: Literature, Young Author, Contribution to the Development of Nations, Literary and Art Criticism, Children’s Literature, Arab Culture in Other Languages, Translation, and Publishing and Technology. This will set the stage for the final phase of evaluation, during which the Board of Trustees of the Sheikh Zayed Book Award will meet and endorse the winners of the 17th edition.

This current edition of the award has seen a significant number of both submissions and participating countries, receiving the largest number of submissions across its nine categories since its launch. A total of 3,151 submissions were registered from 60 countries, including 22 Arab nations and 38 foreign countries.

The Sheikh Zayed Book Award honours the outstanding achievements of innovators and thinkers in literature, the arts, and humanities in Arabic and other languages. It aims to promote Arabic literature and culture, as well as provide new opportunities for Arabic-language writers. Authors writing about the Arab culture and civilisation in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, and Russian also are recognised by the award.

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