The "Sharjah Award for Poetry Criticism" Announces the Winners of the Fourth Edition

Sharjah Award for Poetry Criticism Announces the Winners of the Fourth Edition 

Al-Qaseer: The Patronage of the Ruler of Sharjah Has Reinterpreted Poetry from a Comprehensive Critical Perspective

Sharjah –
The Secretary-General of the Sharjah Award for Arabic Poetry Criticism has announced the winners of its fourth edition, which was titled “The Convergence of Literary Genres in Contemporary Arabic Poetry.” Three Arab critics were awarded in this edition. 

The prize is held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah. It is organized by the Cultural Affairs Department of the Sharjah Department of Culture to promote Arabic poetry and stimulate the efforts of critics and those interested in studies focused on the poetic experience, benefiting the Arab creative scene. 

Mr. Mohammed Ibrahim Al-Qaseer, Director of the Cultural Affairs Department and Secretary-General of the Award, said: "Since its establishment in 2020, the Sharjah Award for Arabic Poetry Criticism has enjoyed continuous patronage from His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah. This patronage has redefined Arabic poetry from a comprehensive critical perspective, providing a fresh critical vision based on the prize’s themes, which address significant and expansive issues in poetry.”  

Al-Qaseer added: "This edition presents three prominent names in the Arab cultural scene who have worked diligently on an important critical topic, ‘The Convergence of Literary Genres in Contemporary Arabic Poetry.’ They aimed to present a new critical perspective that deeply explores the topic, while adhering to the award’s standards."

He further pointed out: "The award has witnessed an increase in the number of participants in every edition. This year, we received more than 60 research papers from the following countries: 24 from Egypt, 21 from Morocco, 8 from Syria, 4 from Tunisia, 3 from Iraq, and the remaining papers came from the UAE, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Palestine, Algeria, Jordan, Yemen, Bahrain, and Mauritania. This diversity in participation highlights the significance of the award among Arab critics.” 

"Jury"

After ensuring that the research papers met the stated criteria, the award's Secretariat assigns a specialized committee to conduct an initial screening of the participating papers and select the ones worthy of competition. After this screening, the papers are sent to four judges—critics and academics with recognized scientific competence—who select the top three winning papers based on agreed-upon critical standards. A final report is then presented, justifying the selections.

It’s worth noting that the award offers financial rewards to the top three winners: the first-place winner receives 100,000 AED, the second-place winner gets 75,000 AED, and the third-place winner is awarded 50,000 AED.