Sheikh Sultan directs organisation of Arab poetry forums in Africa

His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, has directed the Sharjah Department of Culture to oversee the organisation of the third cycle of Arab poetry forums in Africa.

This initiative will span nine countries: Chad, Mali, Ivory Coast, Benin, Nigeria, Guinea, Senegal, South Sudan, and Niger.

Preparations across these nine African nations have been diligently completed to welcome the third edition of the Arab poetry forums, commencing in Chad later this month and continuing sequentially in other countries until concluding in Niger in October this year.

In recent months, the Department of Culture has coordinated extensively with these African nations to ensure the events are organised with utmost efficiency and cultural richness.

Mohammed Ibrahim Al Qasir, Director of Cultural Affairs at the department, highlighted that the directives of the Sharjah Ruler aim to promote Arabic language and literature in Africa. His Highness places significant cultural importance on Arab and Islamic heritage across many African countries as a cornerstone of Sharjah's cultural initiatives.

Al Qasir added that the Cultural Affairs Department is set to implement the third phase of this initiative, organising poetry events throughout 2024 in Guinea, Nigeria, Senegal, Chad, Niger, Mali, South Sudan, Benin, and Ivory Coast.

He further emphasised that these poetry forums in Africa are a true testament to the support for the Arabic language. The previous editions saw the organisation of 18 poetry gatherings in Africa, involving over 200 poets and poetesses, with strong official and public participation. Poetry houses in Arab countries have provided platforms for African poets in recent years through various poetry evenings and festivals.

The poetry gatherings in Africa, which brought together 114 poets and poetesses in the first edition and over 120 creators in the second, have become vibrant cultural arenas aimed at boosting the presence of the Arabic language in these regions. They represent new poetic landscapes that enrich Arabic literature.

These events are a result of collaboration between the Department of Culture and local cultural institutions in the host countries, pooling efforts professionally to ensure distinguished poetry events. Several African countries have hosted Arabic poetry gatherings for the first time during the inaugural edition, marking significant milestones in their cultural history.