Russian Literary and Academic Figures race to win Zayed Book Award

cooperation with UAE’s Embassy in Moscow, the Sheikh Zayed Book Award, in cooperation with the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, organized an Arab-Russian Cultural Communion alongside a seminar in the Russian Capital Moscow, on the 27th of September 2013. The meetings in Moscow come closely after a similar event that took place back in last May in Cremona Italy to pave the way towards the Award’s nominations phase which will last until mid-October 2013. Those series of events aim to energize participation in the new category, “Arabic Culture in other Languages”, that is accepting literary works in English, Russian and Italian for the eighth session currently running. The event brought together an assembly of top-level diplomatic and cultural figures from UAE and Moscow, in addition to an assembly of the Russian cultural and academic community elites from Moscow State University, Mardjani Foundation, National Library of Moscow, alongside renowned Arab authors, academics and intellectuals living in Russia, and a number of representatives from Arab and Foreign Media. In his welcoming speech, Professor Vitaly Naumkin, the director of the Centre for Arab Studies at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, highlighted the significance of Sheikh Zayed book Award on the worldly cultural platform and stressed its unique initiative as an Award that is not only granted to Arab literary figures and academics but also recognizes written works produced by foreign creative individuals in languages other than the Arabic, tackling the Arab civilization and culture. “Sheikh Zayed Book Award is highly recognized among Russian scholars and cultural specialists, many of which will be contending to win the valuable prize.” Naumkin added. From his side, Dr. Ali Bin Tamim, Secretary General of Sheikh Zayed Book Award, expressed his appreciation and gratitude to Professor Naumkin and his team at the Institute for their earnest hospitality and welcoming: “We hope this meeting kick-starts a fruitful partnership between the Award and the Institute of Oriental Studies, on all cultural fronts between the UAE and the Russian Federation”, he added. Bin Tamim explained that the event comes in line with the Sheikh Zayed Book Award’s efforts to reach out to international audiences and promote the Award’s brand at cultural gatherings around the world and added: “the Sheikh Zayed Book Award’s vision embodies the core of cultural diversity, peaceful co-existence and nourishment of creativity of any origin.” The Secretary General wrapped up by unveiling the launch of a new project between “Kalima” Translation project and the Institute of Oriental Studies which aims at exchanging resources and references on cultural studies in Russian and Arabic.