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H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Foreign Minister and Chairman of the National Media Council (NMC), honored the winners of the Emirates Novel Award’s first round yesterday, during a ceremony held this Monday, 14^th of April. The event took place in Abu Dhabi in the presence of H.E. Noura Al Kaabi, CEO of twofour54, Jamal Al Shehhi, Secretary General of Emirates Novel Award, and the novelist Ahlam Mestaghami ..

The “Emirates Novel Award” is a significant initiative with the objective of reinforcing the Emirati cultural scene, and contributing to the educational drive in the country

During the ceremony the top three finalists were announced. Khawla Alsuwaidi was awarded the first prize for her novel “Eshb wa Saqef wa Qamar”, Lulwah Al Mansouri earned second prize for her novel “Kharajna Min Dhileaa Al Jabal” and Maitha Al Muhairi won third place for her novel “Min Ay Shay Khuliqat”. The award –  Jury Prize, was awarded toHind Saif Al Bar for the novel “Kunar”.

Ali Abu al-Reesh, Emirati novelist and journalist, accepted the award, “2013 Distinctive Emirati Writer”, recognizing his intellectual accomplishments. Al-Reesh’s first novel in 1980, Al-A’tiraf , was nominated the most prominent Arabic novels of the twentieth century..

Noura Al Kaabi praised the United Arab Emirates leadership for the support provided to the Emirati intellectuals and creators, and expressed her gratitude and appreciation for the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan which made this award possible, amid a number of other awards, all aiming to further promote the cultural and social pursuits of the country.

Al Kaabi added that, despite – the relentless drive to support Arabic and digital content; we must all be devoted to content development and sustain those who support it. She also highlighted the importance of maintaining Arabic poetry in respect to “Diwan Al Arab”, where Arabs have acknowledged the status and value that poetry has always retained within their cultural heritage.

Noura al Kaabi expressed: “I take pride in the achievements of the participants who have demonstrated admirable precision in their creativity and distinctiveness in their work. Honoring them today is a testament of the progress we are achieving in strengthening Abu Dhabi’s position as a regional media hub, and we are delighted these efforts are recognized and valued by our leadership.  We believe that culture is the cornerstone of maintaining our identity, heritage and civilization.”

Jamal Al Shehhi, Secretary General of Emirates Novel Award said: “This award sheds light on a different type of creativity in content, where the novel is often the starting point to extended creative works for cinema and television. The first round has seen an unrivaled competition between Emirati young novelists, with a promising future in achieving a significant impact in shaping the evolution of the Arabic novel.”

The Emirates Novel Award’s second round entries is open until August 9, 2014 and published works are only accepted during the year 2014 in the category of “Long Novel”. The “Short Novel” category will be limited to new unpublished works. Al Shehhi noted that round one received 20 entries, out of which 15 were approved and handed over to the jury to select the winners.

The shortlisted novels were selected by a judging panel of five Emirati cultural figures including Majed Bushlaibi, AlSaed Alminhali, Mohammad Khamis, Mohammad Al Marzooqi, and Fatima Al Mazroui. The audiences’ voting, through the Emirates Novel Award dedicated online page which was launched two months prior to the ceremony, contributed by 50% to the final rankings of the winners.

Powered by twofour54, the “Emirates Novel Award” launched last year aiming to recognize and support Emirati writers, increasing understanding of the important role literature plays in society to create awareness around cultural issues, and inspiring a culture of reading and writing in the UAE.

In collaboration with twofour54 creative lab, a series of creative writing workshops, seminars and forums are currently being conducted, with an aim to polish writing skills relevant to different genres that were delivered by professional writers. The campaigns will also include workshops on how reading and writing can further contribute to local book fairs programs across the region.

All winning novels are available in main bookstores across the United Arab Emirates, while the e-novels can be found on the iKitab app.

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