Sheikh Zayed Book Award announces shortlist of candidates

Abu Dhabi, March 12, 2013 (WAM) - Sheikh Zayed Book Award announced its shortlisted candidates in "Contribution to the Development of Nations" and "Literary and Art Criticism" categories. "We selected the eligible contenders during the Scientific Committee assembly which took place between 25 to 27 February. A total of six titles were shortlisted under both categories a rigorous review of the judges' panel reports", Dr. Ali bin Tamim, Sheikh Zayed Book Award's Secretary General, explained. The "Contribution to the Development of Nations" titles included three books; "Economic Development in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia" (al tanmiya al Iqtisadyyah fil Mamlaka al 'arabiya al Sa'udiyyah) by Dr. AbdulAziz Al Dakheel from Saudi Arabia (published by Dar Al Saqi, Beirut 2012) and "Contemporary Arab Thought" (Al Fikr al'arabi Al Mu'aser) by Scholar Elizabeth Kassab from Lebanon (published by Centre for Arab Unity Studies, Beirut 2012), in addition to "Science and Sovereignty" (Al Ilm Wal Siyadah) by Lebanese Researcher Antoine Zahlan (published by Centre for Arab Unity Studies, Beirut 2012). Three more books were named under "Literary and Art Criticism" including The Long Poem in Arabic Modern Poetry" (al mutawwala fil shi'r al-'arabi al hadeeth) by Tunisian author Dr. Ahmad Abu Baker Al Jawwa (published by Al Tasfeer Al Fanni Press and Safaqes University, Tunisia-2011); "Criticism in Modernism and post Modernism" (al naqd bayn al hadatha wa ma ba'd al hadatha) by Iraqi/British Scholar Dr. Ibrahim Al-Haidari (published by Dar Al Saqi 2012), and "Historic Visualisation" (al takhayyol Al tarikhi) by Dr. Abdullah Ibrahim from Iraq (published by Arab Association for Studies and Publishing). This announcement will be followed by a few more over the coming weeks for the rest of the selected contenders across the award's categories, collectively worth seven million UAE dirhams. The seventh session witnessed a high of nominations amounting to more than 1262 across the Award's nine categories - doubling over last session's record. The 1262 nominations were earlier filtered down to 45 long-listed titles, of which 9 books were under "Contribution to the Development of Nations" and 8 under "Literary and Art Criticism". The full list of winners is scheduled for announcement in a press conference on April 2, 2013, to be followed by the Award's Ceremony, celebrating the winning achievements, on April 28, in Conference Hall (A) in Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre. The Sheikh Zayed Book award is an independent cultural award, with a total monetary value of seven million dirhams.