Sharjah 24 – WAM: The Sheikh Zayed Book Award (SZBA) Scientific Committee has convened to review the recommendations of the Award’s jury and approve the shortlists of the 15th edition of the Award – the largest in its history in terms of submission and nomination numbers, standing at a total 2,349 submissions; a 23 percent increase compared to the 14th edition.
The Committee’s meeting was attended by Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman, the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), Saood Al Hosani, Undersecretary, DCT Abu Dhabi and Dr. Ali bin Tamim, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre and Secretary-General of the Sheikh Zayed Book Award.
Members of Committee include Dr. Khalil al Shaikh from Jordan, Juergen Boos from Germany, poet and scholar Sultan al Ameemi from the UAE, Jordanian-German translator Mustafa al Slaiman, Professor Floréal Sanagustin from France, Professor Dr. Muhammad Abu al Fadl Badran from Egypt, Jordanian-American Professor Dr. Khaled al Masri, and Professor Mohammad al Safran from Saudi Arabia.
"This year’s Sheikh Zayed Book Award witnessed the highest ever engagement in the Award’s 15-year history, and we have had an incredible variety of powerful works to choose from," said Al Hosani. "The impressive number of submissions has proven that the profile and prestige of the Award grows year on year, successfully highlighting the innovative talents who are raising the literary bar and enriching the Arab cultural and intellectual oeuvre."
Commenting on shortlist approvals by the Scientific Committee, Dr. bin Tamim said, "Our evaluation process complies with the highest standards of transparency, integrity and objectivity, and goes through four stages. With the approval of the shortlists, the third stage of this process is now complete. In the next few weeks, we will be revealing the titles that were shortlisted in the Literature, Translation, Contribution to the Development of Nations, Arab Culture in Other Languages, Children's Literature, Literary and Art Criticism, Young Author, and Publishing and Technology categories, and we will be submitting these lists to the Board of Trustees for a final approval and the selection of winners."
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