Announcement of winners in two Categories; “Best Contribution to the Development of the Nation” and “Young Author”

The Sheikh Zayed Book Award for Best Contribution to the Development of the Nation” went this year to Ammar Ali Hasan from Egypt for his book “The Political Establishment of Sufism in Egypt (by Dar Al- Ain Publishing, 2009) The Award’s Advisory Council’s recognition came as a result of the unique topic the book discusses and the research and analysis methodologies the author implemented to present his findings. The Council named the winning book “a remarkable addition” to the Sufism studies, and the larger knowledge base of the different Islamic movements and sects. The Secretary General of the Sheikh Zayed Book Award, Mr. Rashed Al Oraimi, also announced Mohammad Al Mallakh from Morocco the winner of the “Young Author” category for his book “Time in Arabic Language: its Linguistic Structure and Significance” (Arab Scientific Publishing, Inc., 2009 ). Al Oraimi explained that the winning book provided a solid academic approach in tackling such an important linguistic study. “The book followed a scientific methodology that combined the accuracy of Arabic terminology and concepts”, Al Oraimi elaborated. The panel of six judges will remain anonymous to maintain the independence and integrity of the announcement process until after the awarding ceremony takes place. The Sheikh Zayed Book Award consists of nine categories; each category has three judges specialised in the same field. The judges independently evaluate the nominations and submit their evaluations against a stringent, quantifiable scoring criterion to ensure the decision is truly reflective of their independent and expert views. The assessment results are then calculated for each category and collectively evaluated by the Advisory Council for the award. The Advisory council include: Egyptian Literary Critic Dr. Salah Fadl, Algerian Novelist Wacini Laredj, Saudi Writer and Liberal Thinker Prof. Abdulla Al Ghathami, Spanish Professor of Arabic Studies Carmen Ruiz Bravo, Emirati Writer and Thinker Dr. Mohammed Al Murr. The winners of the six Award categories will be announced throughout the coming weeks, to be followed by a grand ceremony to celebrate the winning achievements on Wednesday 3rd of March 2010 at the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi, parallel to the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair. The Sheikh Zayed Book Award is committed to supporting the growth and development of literature and culture in the Arabic world by celebrating and encouraging Arabic works and cultural thinking.