Sharjah Award for Poetry Criticism Announces Winners of the Fifth Edition

“Cultural and Artistic Structures in Contemporary Arabic Poetry” Discussed

Sharjah Award for Poetry Criticism Announces Winners of the Fifth Edition

Al Qaseer: The Patronage of the Ruler of Sharjah Has Contributed to Re-reading Arabic Poetry and Opened New Horizons for Arab Critics

Sharjah –

The General Secretariat of the Sharjah Award for Arabic Poetry Criticism has announced the names of the winners of its fifth edition, held under the title “Cultural and Artistic Structures in Contemporary Arabic Poetry,” with three Arab critics receiving the award.

The award is held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, and is organized by the Department of Cultural Affairs at the Sharjah Department of Culture. It aims to support Arabic poetry and stimulate the efforts of critics and researchers engaged in studies focused on the poetic experience, in service of the Arab creative scene.

First place was awarded to Mohrez Ben Mohsen Rashedi from Tunisia for his study “Discursive Structure in Modern Arabic Poetry (Foundational Issues and Applied Practices).” Second place went to El Mehdi Al-Araj from Morocco for his study “The Structure of Poetic Experience in Contemporary Arabic Poetry between the Argument of Renewal and the Division of the Model.” Third place was awarded to Al-Hassan Mohammed Mahmoud from Mauritania for his study “Structural Spaces in Contemporary Arabic Poetry (A Structural Study).”

Mohammed Ibrahim Al Qaseer, Director of the Department of Cultural Affairs at the Department of Culture and Secretary-General of the Award, said:
“Since its launch in 2020, the Sharjah Award for Arabic Poetry Criticism has received generous and continuous patronage from His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah. This patronage has played a significant role in establishing a comprehensive critical approach that has contributed to re-reading Arabic poetry and opening new horizons for Arab critics through the award’s themes, which address central poetic issues.”

Al Qaseer added:
“The current edition introduces three critical voices to the Arab cultural scene, who have approached the topic of ‘cultural and artistic structures in contemporary Arabic poetry’ with a high level of seriousness, presenting in-depth analytical perspectives while adhering to the scientific and methodological standards adopted by the award.”

The Secretary-General of the Award noted that each edition witnesses a notable increase in the number of submissions. The current edition received more than 180 critical studies from several Arab countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Jordan, Tunisia, Yemen, Sudan, Mauritania, and Libya, reflecting the award’s expanding reach and firmly established position within the Arab critical landscape.

Al Qaseer also pointed out that the General Secretariat received research submissions from countries participating in the award for the first time, namely Gambia, Mali, Guinea, India, and the United States, underscoring the award’s growing importance among critics from across the world.

After confirming that the submitted studies met the stipulated conditions, the Award Secretariat referred them to a specialized committee for an initial screening to select the studies eligible for competition. The selected studies were then submitted to five judges—distinguished critics and academics with recognized scholarly expertise—who selected the three winning studies according to agreed-upon critical criteria and submitted a final, unified report outlining the reasons for their selections.