Abu Dhabi: The Shaikh Zayed Book Award has announced that it will begin receiving nominations for its 2015-2016 edition until September 30.
The award’s executive office is now accepting nominations from creative individuals in any of the award’s nine categories: Best Contribution to the Development of Nations, Children’s Literature, Young Author, Translation, Literature, Literary and Art Criticism, Arabic Culture in Other Languages, Publishing and Cultural Technologies, and Cultural Personality of the Year.
Applicants are invited to collect their application papers from the administrative offices of the award or apply online. The application forms should be submitted to the Shaikh Zayed Book Award offices along with the candidate’s resume, passport copy, personal photo, and five copies of the nominated work in a paper format, except for works nominated for Publishing and Cultural Technologies award which can be a digital or web portal address nomination.
All nominated works must have been published within the last two years and should not have been previously awarded an international prize. The work must be written in Arabic, except for works nominated for the Translation Award, which can be translated either from or to Arabic, and the works nominated for the newly devised category for Arabic Culture in Other Languages, which can be in English, French or Portuguese for the tenth session.
Over the past nine years, the Award has recognised the creative literary and cultural achievements of more than 60 authors, including novelist Waciny Laredj, Professor Pedro Martinez Montavez, novelist Ebrahim Al Kouni, orientalist Chung Jikon, writer and critic Marina Warner from the UK, and Sigita Hideaki from Japan, among others.
The Shaikh Zayed Book Award’s first edition was in 2007, and was intended to promote scholarship and creativity in Arab culture. It carries cash prizes totalling Dh7 million, with Dh750,000 awarded per winner in all eight categories. The winners also receive a certificate of merit and a gold medal.
