Sheikh Zayed Book Award Meets German Writers in Berlin

Date: September 17, 2012, 10:00 - 00:00
Location: Berlin, Germany

In September 2012, the Sheikh Zayed Book Award in cooperation with UAE Embassy in Germany, organized the Arab-German Cultural Seminar in the German Capital Berlin, at the UAE Embassy in the German Capital. The event brought together an assembly of top-level diplomatic and cultural figures from UAE and Germany, including HE Mohammad Ahmad Al Mahmoud, UAE’s Ambassador in Germany, Dr. Ali Bin Tamim, Secretary General of Sheikh Zayed Book Award, and Mr. Abdullah Majid Al Ali, the Award’s General Manager, in addition to Mr. Ofa Hai, Head of Cultural Division at the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Professor Klaus Raichart, Chairman of the German Academy of Language and Poetry, alongside renowned Arab authors, academics and intellectuals living in Germany, and a number of representatives from Arab and Foreign countries. HH Mohammad Al Mahmoud thanked Mr. Hai, and the esteemed guests for their support of the Arabic Culture, and added: and he also underlined the role of the Award and its efforts to reach out to international audiences. He said “This event emphasizes the Award’s long term objective to promote the rich Arabic heritage, and to open the door for the cultural dialogue between the East and the West. We meet today to bridge the gap between Arab and German intellects and enhance international literary cooperation, which what we believe in back home in UAE" In his speech, Dr. Ali Bin Tamim, thanked all involved in organising the event which he said drew attention to 'arabic culture in other languages' which attracted significant attention from academics and cultural researchers around the world, especially from Germany, in the award’s seventh session currently running.”. Bin Tamim concluded his speech by inviting German academics, and researchers to participate in the Award’s newly devised category, to honor written works in German about the Arabic civilization and culture, in the fields of humanities, fine arts, and literature throughout its historical eras. As for the representative of the Foreign German Ministry Ofa Hai, expressed his gratitude to Sheikh Zayed Book Award for creating the opportunity to open dialogues with the cultural world in Berlin. Prof. Reichart said that said the award provided German academics with a learning opportunity and a chance to correct the Arab culture story. He added that the Kalima translation project is witnessing a significant amount of translation efforts from German to Arabic and vice versa. Thomas Shbarro, who manages a very well-known publishing house in Berlin, said the event brought together publishers and writers and translators from across Germany and the Arab World. The Seminar comprised several sessions with a number of authors, academics and critics, including some renowned names such as poet Daniella Dantes, author Paul Marr, theatrical writer Folker Brown, poet Ulrika Dressner, critic Adel Karshouli and Dr. Thomas Shbarro.