Sheikh Zayed Book Award Organises Milan seminar
Date October, 05 2018
Location Milan, Italy
The Sheikh Zayed Book Award (SZBA) has organised the next instalment in its series of international seminars as part of its commitment to advance Arab culture. The seminar, entitled ‘A Dialogue Between Arab and Italian Literature’, will be held at the museum Villa Necchi Campiglio on 5th October, and will introduce the Italian audience to the most notable initiatives by the Sheikh Zayed Book Award that encourage annual nominations from outside the Arab region.
The event will host authors, publishers and translators as part of a reception, during which Dr Ali Bin Tamim, Secretary General of the Sheikh Zayed Book Award will speak about the cultural initiatives and the global dimension of the Award, and the Kalima Translation Project’s efforts in introducing Italian culture to Arab audiences. Additionally, Abdullah Majed Al Ali, Acting Executive Director of the National Library Sector at the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), will mention the many continuous efforts of DCT Abu Dhabi in promoting translation, cultural development, intellectual thought, and the heritage of the United Arab Emirates, and how the SZBA translation fund plays a key role in furthering these endeavours.
The event will also include a panel discussion featuring Italian editor and journalist Paolo Gualandris, author and Professor of Philosophy at Milan State University Carlo Sini, Italian publisher and founder of Marcos y Marcos publishing house Marco Zapparoli, Italian author and journalist Alessandro Zaccuri and philosopher Paolo Spincci.
The Milan instalment is the second in a series of seminars organised by SZBA this year to promote the award-winning books, and the next event will be held in the United Kingdom, following numerous seminars that were held in cultural landmarks and literary centres in London, Moscow, Lisbon, and most recently in New York.
Speakers

Paolo Gualandris
Italian editor and journalist

Carlo Sini
Professor of Philosophy at Milan State University

Marco Zapparoli
Italian publisher and founder of Marcos y Marcos publishing house

Alessandro Zaccuri
Italian author and journalist

Paolo Spincci
Italian Philosopher and academic

Aldo Perola
Representative of Milan National Library

HE Dr. Ali Bin Tamim
Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre and the Secretary-General of the Sheikh Zayed Book Award
HE Dr Ali bin Tamim is Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC) at the Department of Culture and Tourism, as well as Secretary General of the Sheikh Zayed Book Award. He is also the Editor-in-Chief of Al-Markaz, Majallat al-Dirasat al-Arabiyya, and the leading online news portal 24.ae.
Bin Tamim has held a variety of positions in the UAE's cultural and heritage sectors. He was the chairperson of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre, Chairman of the Executive Committee, and a member of the National Archives' board of directors (2015 - 2018). Bin Tamim also oversaw the "Kalima" Translation Project and was General Manager of Abu Dhabi Media Company (2016 - 2019).
Bin Tamim was chosen as a Jury member for several important cultural awards in the UAE, including the Prince of Poets Programme, the Dubai Cultural Award, and the Khalifa Educational Award. He also served on the Supreme Committee of the State Appreciation Award.

Abdullah Majed Al Ali
Acting Executive Director of the National Library Sector at the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi and Member of the Board of Trustees of the Award.