Sharjah24: The second and third days of the Luxor Arab Poetry Festival were marked by a rich blend of poetry and the arts, featuring a literary seminar, an art exhibition, four poetry evenings, and book signings. These events were part of the festival's ninth edition, held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, and organized by the Department of Culture in Sharjah and the Egyptian Ministry of Culture.
Attendees included His Excellency Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Owais, Chairman of the Sharjah Department of Culture, Mr. Mohammed Ibrahim Al Qasir, Director of Cultural Affairs, Dr. Mohammed Hassani Ali, Director of the Public Library of Egypt in Luxor, and academic figures such as Prof. Dr. Ahmed Yahya Hamza, Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts at Luxor University. A wide array of students, writers, artists, and other guests also attended.
Over three days, the festival created a unique cultural atmosphere in Luxor, where poetry and visual art came together, reflecting the city’s rich history. This convergence of art forms illuminated the southern Egyptian city with both visual and poetic brilliance.
On the second day, the festival shifted focus to literary criticism with a seminar titled "The Intersection of Literary Genres in Contemporary Arabic Poetry." Critics Dr. Hussein Hamouda, Dr. Kamilia Abdel-Fattah, Dr. Mohammed Selim Shousha, and Dr. Nancy Ibrahim engaged in a lively discussion, moderated by Dr. Mohammed Al-Noubi. The seminar explored the fusion of genres within poetry, examining the impact of narrative and drama on contemporary poetry, and how technological advancements like artificial intelligence are influencing poetic expression.
Dr. Nancy Ibrahim explained how dramatic poetry has evolved into a form that blends theatre and poetry, enhancing its dynamic engagement with readers. Dr. Mohammed Shousha examined the psychological and subconscious motivations behind the blending of literary genres, noting how this phenomenon could be rooted in cognitive processes rather than a deliberate artistic choice. Dr. Hamouda explored how contemporary poets, including Mahmoud Darwish, express multiple phases in their poetry, showing how literary genres manifest differently across an individual poet’s work.
Dr. Kamilia Abdel-Fattah traced the fusion of poetry and prose back to the pre-Islamic era, noting how poets today still draw on narrative structures to express their human experiences.
The seminar was followed by a poetry session with poets Samir Darwish, Shereen Al-Adwi, Imad Ali, Obaid Abbas, and Masoud Shoman, moderated by poet Mahmoud Mar’i.
"Threads of Shadow" Art Exhibition:
The second day also saw the opening of the "Threads of Shadow" art exhibition at the Faculty of Fine Arts, Luxor University, with 25 Egyptian and Arab artists participating. This exhibition continued the collaboration between the university and the House of Poetry in Luxor, supporting emerging talents in the cultural and artistic fields. Attendees toured the exhibition and appreciated the high-quality works on display.
Following the exhibition, a poetry evening at the college featured poets Hassan Al-Atalati, Sherif Amin, Shaaban Al-Bouqi, Salah Al-Lakani, Mohamed Tayel, and Mohamed Abdel Hamid Tawfiq. The audience enjoyed poems exploring both universal human themes and personal introspection.
Book Signings and Readings:
On the third day, six poetry collections, published by the Sharjah Department of Culture, were launched. The poets and their works included Ahmed Ayed ("A Shadow Guarding Forgetfulness"), Mustafa Jouhar ("The Lost"), Shams Al-Moula ("Crossing to the West Bank"), Mustafa Abu Hilal ("Waves... with Clouds Above"), Tarek Mahmoud ("Like a Lazy River in Thirst"), and Mohamed Tayel ("Rest, O Fugitives").
A poetry session followed the book signings, with readings from poets Ahmed Diab, Ahmed Gamal Madani, Shams Al-Moula, Essam Khalifa, Mustafa Abu Hilal, and Yasmin Salah.
Website Launch:
Hussein Al-Qabahi, Director of the House of Poetry in Luxor, introduced the newly launched website for the House, which aims to connect poetry enthusiasts and provide easy access to event information and poetry texts.
The festival will conclude with a closing ceremony at the open-air theatre in the Luxor Temple tomorrow.
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