Organised by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC), the 19th Sheikh Zayed Book Award (SZBA) has received 4,052 submissions from 75 countries, including 20 Arab nations and five countries participating in the award for the first time.
The SZBA announced that its Reading Panel had completed its review process and closed the nomination period in early October 2024. During its meetings, chaired by His Excellency Dr Ali bin Tamim, SZBA Secretary-General and ALC Chairman, the Reading Panel evaluated the submitted books, assessing their adherence to the award’s criteria. The longlists for nominated works are set to be announced by the end of 2024.
The Reading Panel consists of His Excellency Saeed Hamdan Al Tunaiji, Executive Director of the ALC and member of the SZBA Scientific Committee; Dr Bilal Orfali, Professor and Sheikh Zayed Chair of Arabic and Islamic Studies at the American University of Beirut; and Dr Mohammad Al Safrani, Dean of the College of Arts and Humanities at Taibah University in Medina, Saudi Arabia. Abdulrahman Al Naqbi, Director of the ALC’s Literary Awards Department, also attended the meetings.
His Excellency Dr Ali bin Tamim, SZBA Secretary-General and ALC Chairman, said: “The Sheikh Zayed Book Award continues to experience sustainable growth in quality and calibre of applications submitted, as well as in the number of participating countries. The award is one of the world’s most prestigious accolades celebrating cultural creators, thinkers, and young publishers. It seeks to honour their valuable contributions in various fields, including development, authorship, and translation in the humanities, as well as their efforts to enrich cultural, literary, and social life. This mission is inspired by the wisdom and vision of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Founding Father of the UAE, which underlines the award’s significance and reinforces its status in cultural circles.”
This year’s edition of the award saw five new countries participate for the first time: Albania, Bolivia, Colombia, Trinidad and Tobago, and Mali, underscoring the SZBA's growing influence and impact, encompassing a diverse array of global, cultural, and creative fields. Egypt led all participating countries in terms of the total number of submissions, followed by Iraq, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Jordan, Syria, Tunisia, Lebanon, and the UAE. The United States led the list beyond the Middle East, followed by the United Kingdom, France, Spain, India, Germany, Italy, and Canada.
The Sheikh Zayed Book Award’s diverse categories continue to resonate widely, with the Young Author category leading in popularity, attracting 1,034 submissions and comprising 26 per cent of the total entries. The Literature category garnered 1,001 submissions, accounting for 25 per cent of all applications, while the Children’s Literature category received 439 entries, representing 11 per cent of the total. The figures reflect the award’s pivotal role in fostering emerging voices and championing literary and cultural expression across generations.
Additional categories in the award include Literary and Art Criticism, Contribution to the Development of Nations, Translation, Arab Culture in Other Languages, Editing of Arabic Manuscripts, Publishing and Technologies, and Cultural Personality of the Year.
The award embodies the legacy of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, honouring his pioneering role in driving the development of the nation and its people. The SZBA also reflects Abu Dhabi’s prominent position as a hub for cultural leaders from around the world, fostering closer relations and tolerance among peoples, promoting the Arabic language, and playing a pivotal role in advancing the global publishing sector.
