Foundation of Abdulaziz Saud Al-Babtain's Prize for Poetic Creativity
The Foundation of Abdulaziz Saud Al-Babtain's Prize for Poetic Creativity (Arabic: مؤسسة جائزة عبدالعزيز سعود البابطين للإبداع الشعري)
"An Overview of the Foundation"
It was proclaimed in 1989 in Cairo by virtue of an initiative from Mr. Abdulaziz Al-Babtain as a private, cultural and non-profit organization that is exclusively concerned with poetry.
The Organizational Structure
1. The Board of Trustees
The Foundation’s Board of Trustees comprises of the Secretary General and at least nine other men of letters, thought and poetry in the Arab world, while trying to represent as many Arab countries as possible. The Board is re-formed every three years. Th first Board was formed in the year 1991, The second Board was formed in the year 1994, the third in 1998, and the fourth in 2001. The present Board, which is the fifth, was formed on December 2004. It comprises:
1. Mr. Abdulaziz Saud Al-Babtain.......... President
2. Mr. Abdulaziz Al-Surayea.......... Secretary General
3. Dr. Tahar Hadjar.......... Member
4. Dr. George Tarabeih.......... Member
5. Dr. Hatem Al-Sager.......... Member
6. Dr. Hasnaa Al-Qunaieer.......... Member
7. Dr. Abdullah Ahmed Al-Mohanna.......... Member
8. Dr. Abdullah Bin Nasser Al-Alawi.......... Member
9. Dr. Ali Oqla Irsan.......... Member
10. Mr. Farouq Shousha.......... Member
11. Dr. Kamal Imran.......... Member
12. Dr. Latifa Al-Najjar.......... Member
13. Dr. Mohammed Yousef Shaheen.......... Member
14. Mr. Abdulaziz Mohammed Juma.......... Secretary
2. The General Secretariat:
The General Secretariat is the Foundation’s executive apparatus. It includes the executive secretariat, computer department, and the research department, which carries out research proof-reading, editing and following up on the publication process, as well as supervising administrative and financial affairs. The executive apparatus particularly undertakes all preparations pertaining to the meetings of the Board of Trustees, the advisory body of the «Al-Babtain Encyclopedia of Arab Poets in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries», the encyclopedia editing office, the editing office of the «Al-Babtain Encyclopedia of Contemporary Arab Poets» in its successive editions, the arbitration committees, coordinating the literary works contesting for the prizes and reviewing the same, as far as formalities are concerned. It also directs work to the regional offices. The Secretary General shall be commissioned to represent the Foundation in many occasions and missions. In addition, the General Secretariat apparatus undertakes the implementation of the plans and policies drawn up by the Board of Trustees and follows up all the decisions passed by the Board. The first Secretary General of the Foundation was poet Adnan Al-Shayji, who served from the beginning of the Foundation’s establishment in 1989 until July 1991. He planned the arbitration and distribution of the first meeting in May, 1990 at the Marriot Hotel in Cairo. The General Secretariat had not been formed at that time, so the Foundation relied heavily on the Cairo based Modern Literature Association, chaired by the Late Dr. Mohammad Abdulmunem Khafaji. Thanks to its support, the Association has backed the Foundation’s efforts in executing its functions from its beginnings. In August 1991, Mr. Abdulaziz Al-Surayea was chosen to be the Secretary General of the Foundation. At the time, he was occupying the post of Head of Department of Culture and Arts at the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters. He resigned and assumed his responsibilities as full time Secretary General of the Foundation since October 1993.
3.The Foundation’s Offices:
Due to the diversity of the Foundation’s work and the expansion of its activities all over the Arab world, offices were opened in some Arab countries, namely: Cairo office: It covers the region of Egypt, Sudan and neighboring areas, assisted by delegates in these countries. Tunisia office: Covers the North African area, assisted by delegates in these countries. Kuwait office: It covers the Gulf and Arabian Peninsula region. It is run directly by the General Secretary as part of the general secretariat’s work, assisted by the apparatus and delegates from the Arab Gulf countries, in addition to roving delegates from abroad, such as Asia, Europe, Australia, North and South America and Africa. 4. The Foundation’s Delegates In addition to its regional offices, the Foundation appointed a number of men of letters who are well informed about cultural and poetic affairs in their countries, in order to assist the Foundation in executing its project and meet its needs in their respective countries.
The Foundation’s Achievements
The Sessions:
1- The First Session: Cairo, 17 May, 1990. The prize distributing ceremony during the first meeting was held at the Marriott hotel in Cairo under the auspices of the Egyptian Minister of Culture, Mr. Farouq Hosni. The ceremony was attended by a large number of dignitaries who are interested in poetic, cultural and literary activities. Initially, the value of the prize was EP 43,000 (Egyptian Pounds forty three thousand), it was then doubled during the ceremony to EP 86,000 (Egyptian Pounds eighty six thousand). The prizes were awarded as follows:- The Poetic Creativity Prize, valued at EP 30,000 (Egyptian Pounds thirty thousand), was jointly won by the Kuwaiti poet Mohammed Al-Fayez for his complete poetic works and the Egyptian poet Ibrahim Eisa for his book of verse entitled: Habibi Aneed «My Darling is Stubborn». The Poetry Criticism Creativity Prize, valued at EP 30,000 (Egyptian Pounds thirty thousand), was jointly won by the Egyptian critic Dr. Mohammed Zaki Al-Ashmawi for his book «Literary Criticism Issues» and the Egyptian critic Mr. Mustafa Abdullateef Al-Saharti for his book «The Contemporary Poetry in Light of Modern Criticism». The Excellence in Poetry Prize, valued at EP 20,000 (Egyptian Pounds twenty thousand), was won jointly by the Iraqi poet Mohammed Jawad Al-Ghaban for his collection of poems: Inty Ahla «You are Prettier» and the Egyptian poet Khalil Fawaz for his collection of poems: Qalbi «My Heart». The Best Poem Prize, valued at EP 6,000 (Egyptian Pounds six thousand), was won jointly by the Egyptian poetess Olayya Al-Jaar for her poem «Do not Worry» and the Moroccan poet Mohammed Al-Halwi for his poem Fi Rihab Sibta «In the Vast Space of Ceuta».
2- The Second Session: Cairo, 17 October 1991.The prize awarding ceremony was held at the Opera House in Cairo under the auspices of the Egyptian Minister of Culture Mr. Farouq Hosni. A large number of poets, writers, critics, as well as press and media men attended the ceremony.
The prizes were awarded as follows:
The Poetic Creativity Prize, valued at EP 60,000 (Egyptian Pounds sixty thousand), was won by the Egyptian poet Abdulaleem Al-Qabbani for his complete poetic works. The Poetry Criticism Prize, valued at EP 60,000 (Egyptian Pound sixty thousand), was won jointly by the Egyptian critics Dr. Mohammed Fattouh Ahmed and Dr. Mohammed Abdulmottaleb for their complete critical works. Classical Poetry Excellence Prize, valued at EP 20,000 (Egyptian Pounds twenty thousand), was won jointly by the Egyptian poet Shawki Haikal for his book of verse «A Passage to Two Eyes» and the Egyptian poet Ismael Oqab for his collection «She and the Sea». The Excellence in Free Rhyme Poetry Prize, valued at EP 20,000 (Egyptian Pounds twenty thousand), was won by the Syrian poet Hassan Attwan for his poetry collection «Blood Baptism». The Best Poem Prize, valued at EP 20,000 (Egyptian Pounds twenty thousand), was won jointly by the Saudi poet Habib Bin Moalla Al-Motairi for his poem «With no Title» and the Egyptian poet Rabeh Lotfi Juma for his poem «Kuwait’s Liberation».
- It is noteworthy, in this respect, that the value of the prize in the second session was more than doubled that of the first session. The value of the prizes totaled EP 180,000 (Egyptian Pounds one hundred and eighty thousand.)
3- The Third Session: Mahmoud Sami Al-Baroudi - Cairo, 12-14 December, 1992.The Board of Trustees considered a way to develop the work so that the ceremony was not restricted to awarding prizes. Therefore, the Board decided to dedicate each session to a great Arab poet in order to commemorate them and to launch an intellectual seminar about such poets. So, the Board decided to name the third session after the poet Mahmoud Sami Al-Baroudi, the pioneer of Arab poetry revival. The ceremony, in which the prizes were awarded, was held at the Opera House in Cairo, under the auspices of the Egyptian Minister of Culture Mr. Farouq Hosni. A large number of Arab poets and writers attended the ceremony.
4- The Fourth Session: Abu Al-Qassem Al-Shabi – Fez / Morocco, 10-12 October, 1994.The Board of Trustees issued a decision stipulating that the prize shall be awarded during a ceremony held biannually to provide the committees and participating researchers with adequate time to prepare and write their researches and to issue publications about the selected poets of the meetings and their creative work. The Board of Trustees’ decision also highlighted the importance of expanding the circle of important poets so that the chosen poet comes from a country different to that in which the ceremony is being held. As Al-Shabi comes from Tunisia, it was decided that the ceremony was to be held in Morocco in order to show the importance of the Arab Maghreb poets and their poetic prestige in the Arab world. As Fez was the Moroccan cultural capital, it was chosen to host the ceremony, under the auspices of his Majesty the late King Hassan II and in the presence of his Majesty King Mohammed VI, who was then Crown Prince. The ceremony, organized by the Foundation in cooperation with «Fez Saiss» Moroccan Society, was attended by a large number of guests from various Arab countries, which exceeded two hundred poets, critics and personalities interested in Arabic culture.
5- The Fifth Session: Ahmed Mishari Al-Adwani - Abu Dhabi, 28-31 October, 1996.This meeting was named after the prominent Kuwaiti poet Ahmed Mishari Al-Adwani and the capital of the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi was chosen as the host for this ceremonial event, with which the U.A.E. Cultural Society contributed a great deal. The prize awarding ceremony was under the auspices of His Highness Sheikh Zayed ben Sultan Al-Nahyan, President of the U.A.E. A large number of poets, writers and critics from different Arab countries attended the event.
6- The Sixth Session: Al-Akhtal Al-Saghir - Beirut, 14-17 October, 1998.This meeting was held in Beirut under the auspices of the late Prime Minister Rafiq Al-Hariri. It hosted a large number of poets, writers, critics and others interested in the poetic movement from the Arab world
7- The Seventh Session: Abu Firas Al-Hamdani, Algeria, 31 Oct - 3 Nov, 2000.This meeting was hosted in the Algerian capital, Algiers to celebrate the two Princes of Poetry; Abu Firas Al-Hamdani or Abu Firas Al-Jamadoma and Abdulqader Al-Jazaeri under the patronage of His Excellency President Abdulaziz Boutefliqa, in cooperation and coordination with the Algerian Ministry of Communications and Culture and the Writers’ Union. In attendance were a large number of poets, writers and dignitaries interested in the poetic movement of various Arab countries.
8- The Eighth Session: Ali Bin Al-Moqarrab Al-Ayouni, Manama / Bahrain, 1-3 October, 2002.This Session named after the poet «Ali Bin Al-Moqarrab Al-Ayouni», who never acquired his entitled appreciation. He was not under the spot lights of the large capitals as he lived in the eastern area of the Arab peninsula in a tumultuous period, which did not receive its due concern. Poet «Ibrahim Touqan» was chosen as an alternative poet in this session because he expressed the meaning of the Palestinian wounds, the outcry of martyrdom to the ears of the Arab peoples and made poetry a substitute for the rifle. His choice came as a reiteration of the Arab integration with the Palestinian Revolution, which is fighting its fiercest battles. The Foundation decided to convene this session in the Kingdom of Bahrain as it witnessed a new era of openness and democracy under the rule of His Majesty King Hamad Bin Eisa Al-Khalifa. It was under his Majesty’s patronage that the ceremony was inaugurated with the attendance of a large number of poets, critics and cultured personalities from different Arab countries.
9- The Ninth Session: Ibn Zaydoun, Cordoba / Spain, 4-8 October, 2004.The Board of Trustees of the Foundation of Abdulaziz Saud Al-Babtain’s Prize for Poetic Creativity approved naming this meeting after the great Andalusia poet Ahmed Ibn Zaydoun and decided to hold it in Cordoba, Spain between the 4th and 8th of October, 2004. This was the first time the Foundation held a meeting outside the Arab world and it was aimed at clarifying the true civilization, intellectual and cultural Arab and Muslim image after some opposing parties portrayed a distorted image of them in the wake of the September 2001 attacks. Choosing Cordoba as a host stemmed from the long historical relations between the Arabs and Spain and Portugal (the Iberian Peninsula). All the meeting’s activities were carried out under the auspices of his Majesty King Juan Carlos and his eldest daughter Princess Elena, who attended the opening ceremony.
The Foundation had invited more than four hundred opinionated leaders, ministers, officials, specialized professors, critics, poets, intellectuals and media men belonging to different religions from the Arab world, Europe and America.
On Monday, the 4th of October, 2004, the Foundation organized a tour of the city of Cordoba for its guests.
10- The Tenth Session: Shawqi and Lamartine - Paris / France, 31 Oct - 3 Nov, 2006 .This session bears the names of the two poets; Ahmed Shawqi - the Prince of Arab poets - and Alphonse Lamartine - the great French poet. Ahmed Shawqi was chosen because he was a prominent Arab poet and one of the most prolific and diverse. In 1927 the Arab poets chose him unanimously as their Laureate. He was familiar with French culture as he had studied law at Montpellier University and graduated from the Faculty of Law at the University of Paris. He then spent some time in the French capital studying French literature.
11- The Eleventh Session: Al-Babtain’s Encyclopedia of Arab Poets in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries, Kuwait, 27 - 30 October, 2008.During a meeting held on 25/12/2006, the Board of Trustees decided to base the forthcoming session on one of the Foundation’s most important projects; «Al-Babtain’s Encyclopedia of Arab Poets in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries». It was set to be held in Kuwait, the country from which this great piece of work has emerged. This publication took 11 years of hard work and team effort to complete and contains biographies of more than eight thousand deceased poets from the years 1801 to 2008. This great Encyclopedia contains biographies and poetic samples of 8,039 poets, in addition to 1479 poets who never received sufficient documentation. Furthermore, this was the first session that took place in Kuwait and was aimed at enriching Kuwait’s cultural heritage. On November 28, 2007, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees issued a resolution to form the senior Organizing Committee, under his Chairmanship and the membership of a number of specialized persons. The first meeting was held in Kuwait on 14-16-2007 and issued the following resolutions: Declaration upon completion of Al-Babtain’s Encyclopedia of Arab Poets in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries and the issuing of its 25 volumes.
Holding a literature-based symposium which includes researches about Al-Babtain’s Encyclopedia of Arabic Poets in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries and other Arabic Poetry in these two centuries. Holding a dialogue of civilization entitled “The World Today: Cultures and Interests,” with contributions from 6 Arab researchers and 6 Western researchers.
12- The Twelfth Session: Khalil Mutran & Mohammad Ali/Mak Dizdar – Sarajevo / Bosnia, 19-21 October, 2010.This is the twelfth session to be organized and funded completely by the Foundation of Abdulaziz Saud Al-Babtain’s Prize for Poetic Creativity and like the Foundation’s previous sessions; that carry the names of a great poets. This one bears the name of the two late poets, Khalil Mutran (Arabic) and Mohammad Ali/Mak Dizdar (Bosnian) in appreciation for their efforts in serving culture and literature. It also includes two symposiums; the first is a symposium related to culture and inter-faith dialogue, entitled “Dialogue of Civilizations in a Different World Order: Contrast and Harmony” with contributions from four Arabic researchers and four foreign researchers. The second is a literary symposium about the two poets with fourteen researches by many Arabic and Bosnian researchers. The cultural activities will include evenings of poetry by Arabic poets attending this session. There will also be a musical ceremony by the Lebanese singer Ghada Shubair, in addition to a Folklore performance from Bosnia and Herzegovina. This session will be under the patronage of His Excellency President Haris Silajdžić and hundreds of intellectuals, politicians, men of religion, thinkers and media men from all over the world have been invited to participate. Many satellites and Television stations will cover this session.
The Forums:
- The First Forum: Mohammed Ben Laaboun, Kuwait, 27-30 October, 1997.The Foundation of Abdulaziz Saud Al-Babtain’s Prize for Poetic Creativity organized the «Mohammed Ben Laaboun» Forum in Nabati poetry on 27-30 October, 1997 in Kuwait. The Board of Trustees took a decision to organize this meeting with the aim of shedding light on the unknown epoch of this area’s history in its social, cultural and political aspects since the area was almost isolated from the outer world. The activities of this meeting started with a visit financed by the Foundation’s Chairman to His Highness the Amir the late Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah at Bayan Palace on Monday 27/10/1997, accompanied by Their Excellencies the Amirs, Sheikhs, Poets, and honorable guests of the meeting. His Highness the Crown Prince and Prime Minister the late Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah warmly welcomed the Arab cultural elites. His Highness extended a cordial invitation to the Chairman of the Board of Trustees and a number of the Foundation’s guests to a breakfast party at Al-Shaab Palace on Thursday 30/10/1997. His Highness exchanged amicable and friendly conversations with them, welcoming the Foundation’s guests and praising the efforts of the Foundation’s Chairman.
- The Second Forum: Saadi Al-Shirazi, Tehran / Shiraz, 3-5 July, 2000.The Chairman of the Board of Trustees took a decision to form the organizing committee of the meeting comprising members from both Arab and Iranian Parties. The Committee’s Secretariat General persistently followed up preparations for the venue that the meeting is convening in. In this context, the committee sent delegations to Tehran to take the decision to hold the meeting on 3-5/7/2000.
- The Third Forum: Al-Raheel & Al-Milad; Part of the Foundation’s Contributions in Cele-brating the Choosing of Kuwait as the Capital of Arabic Culture in 2001.This celebration comprised of year round activities.
- The Fourth Forum: Kuwait’s First Forum of Arabic Poetry in Iraq - Kuwait, 7-9 May, 2005.Under the patronage of His Highness the Kuwaiti Prime Minister, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah (now the Amir of Kuwait), the Foundation of Abdulaziz Saud Al-Babtain’s Prize for Poetic Creativity organized «Kuwait’s First Meeting of Arabic Poetry in Iraq» from 07-09 May, 2005. The meeting came in the context of communications with the Iraqi poets, writers and cultural media personalities in the wake of lengthy obligatory absence which had been forcefully imposed by the former Iraqi regime on the country’s poets and writers. A large number of Iraqi poets, writers, poetry critics and media personalities working in the cultural journalism sector, as well as selected educated personalities, writers and poets from different Arab countries were invited to the meeting.
- The Fifth Forum: Mohammad Abdulmunem Khafaji and Adnan Al-Shayji Celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the Foundation of Abdulaziz Saud Al-Babtain’s Prize for Poetic Creativity from 1989 - 2009.
References
- An Overview of Abdulaziz Saud Al-Babtain, Compiled by Abdulaziz M. Juma’a, Kuwait Ninth Edition, September 2010.