Moroccan Poets Festival concludes its 5th edition

More than 30 poets, intellectuals and artists participated in the festival, which was organised by the Department of Culture in Sharjah in cooperation with the Moroccan Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication, in an atmosphere of celebration of poetry and its creators, marking 8 years since the founding of the House of Poetry in Tetouan.

The closing ceremony was held at the School of National Arts and Crafts in Tetouan, in the presence of His Excellency Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Owais, Chairman of the Department of Culture in Sharjah, Dr. Mohammed Ibrahim Al Qasir, Director of the Department of Cultural Affairs in the department, Dr. Youssef Al Fehri, Head of the École Normale Supérieure in the city of Martil, Mukhles Al Saghir, Director of the House of Poetry in Tetouan, and a large number of writers, intellectuals and university students. 

Mukhles Al Saghir pointed out that the current edition of the Moroccan Poets Festival is an exceptional edition that brought together poetry, theatre, music and art, and also brought together the various generations and forms of poetic writing, from the pioneering founders all the way to those crowned with the First Diwan Award for Young Poets. He added that the festival witnessed the presence of distinguished Moroccan poets who shined in the festival’s evenings and major meetings, when the festival brought them together with the poetry audience in Tetouan, where more than a thousand people followed the activities and celebrations of this extraordinary edition.

The closing day witnessed an intellectual symposium entitled “Poetry... from the Creative to the Digital,” in which Abdelsalam Ben Abdel Ali, Saeed Benkrad, and Mustafa Al Haddad participated, and its sessions were moderated by the journalist Yassin Adnan.

The symposium discussed the most prominent developments in artificial intelligence and its impact on creativity, especially in poetry. The speakers agreed that modern technologies cannot provide a creative text that matches human sentiments, while the participants presented poetic models of artificial intelligence and presented them to the audience.

At School of National Arts and Crafts, the closing day continued its activities, as a poetry reading session was held, with the participation of: Abdel Jawad Al Khunaifi, Khadija Al Saidi, and Khaled Boudrief, presented by the poet Sakina Habibullah.

The festival also brought together the blind poets at the Taha Hussein Institute, in a reading session with the poets: Saeed Al Khamsi and Mohammed Al Omrani, with the presentation of the collection “Challenges in the Journey” by Al Omrani, and a musical performance with the artist Soraya Amal and the Taha Hussein Band.

The School of National Arts and Crafts witnessed the last reading session with the poets: Mohammed Aziz Al Hussaini, Fadwa Al Zayani, Moulay Rachid Al Alawi, and Saleh Al Birini, presented by Idris Al Miliani, while the session was followed by a closing ceremony with the artist Al Tohamy Al Harrak.

On the second day, the festival moved to the city of Martil in order to crown the students enrolled in poetry writing workshops and poetry performances organised by the House of Poetry in Tetouan in partnership with the École Normale Supérieure. There, the audience was treated to poetry readings in which the poets: Halima Al Ismaili, Zain Al Abidin Al Kantawi, Hakam Hamdan participated, and reading was presented by Abdel Jawad Al Khunaifi.

At the end of the event, Abdullah Al Owais and Mohammed Al Qasir handed the students enrolled in House of Poetry’s workshops in Tetouan certificates of appreciation to encourage their efforts in the workshops.

The same day also witnessed an open meeting with the writer Mohammed Al Ash’ari, which discussed his cultural career since its inception, through the stages of his creative and practical life, leading to a rich literary production in poetry.

The same day was accompanied by the organisation of an arts exhibition under the title “20/20...Poetic Commentaries,” inaugurated by Abdullah Al Owais and Mohammed Al Qasir, with the participation of twenty poets and twenty artists, and the paintings showed poems by poets participating in the festival.

Participants in the Moroccan Poets Festival confirmed that the vision of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, represents a launch for Arab intellectuals to new cultural horizons, considering the Sharjah Cultural Project a landmark in Arab culture, pointing out that the House of Poetry in Tetouan, which is one of the representatives of this project, revived poetry in Morocco, and that the Moroccan Poets Festival in its fifth edtion was an opportunity to listen to different poetic experiences.

In this context, the poet Khaled Boudrief said that through the vision of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, we are able to reach new cultural horizons, considering the cultural project emerging from Sharjah as an integrated project that carries all the features of creativity for the sake of reserving and nurturing Arabic poetry by rooting it in the souls of all generations.

He confirmed that it is a project that is unparalleled in the Arab world, as it alone has achieved and continues to achieve the aspirations of poets and writers towards the advancement of the word and moving towards a prosperous future full of achievements.

He expresses his happiness in the general poetic atmosphere that the festival, saying: “What can I say to myself and to all the poets of the Moroccan Poets Festival other than the great joy that we felt, when we found an unparalleled glow in a cultural event that is, for me, one of the exceptional events in the Moroccan and Arab cultural scene. We found companionship, love and poetry in all aspects of this elegant festival. Perhaps the House of Poetry is its great little savior with its ideas and creativity in furnishing the festival’s cultural sessions, which were distinguished by broad horizons, wisdom of choice and good management. It is the most radiant cultural destination in the Kingdom of Morocco alongside the House of Poetry in Marrakesh thanks to the support from Sharjah.”

The poet and writer Mohammed Nour Benhasain said that Sharjah has charted a distinctive cultural enlightenment path through its cultural project extending throughout the Arab world. He confirmed that the successes achieved over decades would not have been possible without a clear, systematic vision for a broad cultural industry established by His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, with a well-thought-out strategy, based on studies, expectations, evaluation, and follow-up, making the Sharjah Cultural Project an example to follow.

Benhasain pointed out that the House of Poetry in Tetouan, one of the representatives of the Sharjah Cultural Project in the Arab world, has undertaken great practical efforts since its founding to revive the poetry movement in Morocco. 

Poet Halima Al Ismaili confirmed that the Sharjah Cultural Project seeks to enhance Arab cultural identity on a global level, by hosting various cultural events, focusing on Arabic poetry, explaining that the project definitely contributes to highlighting the richness of poetry and communicating it to a wider audience.

She added: “As a poet present at the Moroccan Poets Festival, and in this inspiring poetic atmosphere, I emphasise that the House of Poetry in Tetouan plays a pivotal role in enhancing the poetic presence by hosting workshops, seminars, and poetry festivals, as the House presents Moroccan, Arab, and international poets, in which different poetic generations to interact, share and enrich their experiences. This creative exchange contributes to building an integrated and interactive poetic community.”

Laila Al Khamlishi, winner of the First Diwan Award for Young Poets, says: “As a winner of the First Diwan Award for Young Poets in its activities and its fifth edition, I value this cultural project that brings together creative people. The Sharjah Cultural Project remains a spectacle that extends its reach to various types of creativity and Arab countries."

Poet Zain Al Abidin Al Kantawi praised the Sharjah Cultural Project and expresses his gratitude by saying, “I feel great gratitude and joy as I witness and watch this happening: an inspiring creative experience supervised by the Sharjah Department of Culture.”

Poet Saleh Al Birini stated that the Moroccan Poets Festival in its fifth edition was an opportunity to listen to different poetic experiences, and this is what created an exceptional poetic atmosphere.
 
Poet Hakam Hamdan said that the Sharjah Cultural Project, with its cultural dimensions at the level of the Arab world, is a brilliant project that is based on supporting poets, and opening new horizons.