| Symposium on Impact of Literary Prizes on Arab Culture Movement in Abu Dhabi |
 A symposium entitled "The Impact of Literary Prizes on the Arab Culture Movement" was held on Wednesday morning, 3 March 2010, at the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair in its 20th session. Participants in the symposium included Abdul Hamid Ahmad, Secretary General, Al Owais Cultural Awards; Taleb Al Refai, Chairman of the Judges, Arab Booker Prize; Dr. Salah Fadl, Member of the Advisory Council, Sheikh Zayed Book Award; and in the presence of Boyd Tonkin, editor and critic, The Independent; Dr. Abdullah Al Ghedami; and a number of Arab & foreign intellectuals.
In his opening address, Abdul Hamid Ahmad, stressed the need for prizes to speak for themselves rather than having someone else talk on their behalf. He went on to add: "The connection between awards and money is part of Arab heritage, as the Khalifa used to reward poets with money for the recitation of their poetry".
He added that the idea of honorary awards has led in practice to the emergence of numerous prizes in recent years in various countries around the world, including the UAE. Indeed the UAE has launched awards in several public and private sectors, drawing on comparisons between the reality of awards in the Arab world and their counterparts in the West. He comes on to say that this not really viable, because over many years, the awards culture has become deeply ingrained and a highly entrenched tradition in the West, and as a result they have built a strong reputation for credibility and independence from governments. While in the Arab countries in particular, there is a marked difference due to the ties between awards and state institutions, such as the State Award for Science, Arts and Literature. There have been very few individual initiatives in this regard.
Mr. Abdul Hamid elaborated that Arab awards are surround by suspicion as the literati have many doubts concerning the credibility of these prizes. Others even consider awards as a trap or the first phases of "death" for creative writers. He added that there are some authors who have regretted receiving prizes because they were granted to them for political reasons.
He concluded that this confusion is the natural outcome of linking awards to the State, and as such, they become questionable. There is also the issue of the novelty of such awards, and the fact that they are not linked to particular traditions relating to standards and transparency. Finally, most awards have not become self-sustaining institutions. Nonetheless, there is no doubt that the emergence of these awards is essentially a healthy sign, and it is a good idea for those with the financial means to drive forward the literary movement.
For his part, Taleb Al Refai focused on his experience as jury member for the current session of the Arab Booker Prize. He spoke of the many stages of debate, which were followed by a careful vote that led to decisive results.Although he emphasized his indifference to the heated criticism surrounding this award, the critical storm did cause him to be bitter about his experience; adding that had he paid too much attention to that criticism it would have been difficult for him to go on with his tasks as a juror.
In his turn, Dr. Fadl addressed a number of themes and core issues. He commented that the prizes come as a response to an urgent need within creators and writers, as a means to obtain reassurance concerning the standard of their work. He went on to add that despite the negativity surrounding these awards, they were able to achieve their objectives in providing moral support to writers and creators, and to encourage them to continue giving. The Sheikh Zayed Book Award and many others are living, practical proof of that. |
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