Sheikh Zayed Book Award announces 2016 short list in ‘Development of Nations’ and ‘Translation’

Abu Dhabi March 7, 2016- Following the short-list declarations made last week, Sheikh Zayed Book Award announced today the short-listed contenders for two more categories;  ‘Contribution to the Development of Nations’  and ‘translation’ where the authors came from Iraq, Egypt , the UAE, Jordan and France The short list in the ‘Contribution to the Development of Nations’ consists of the following titles; ‘Sosiologia al ‘unf wal ‘irahb’ (Sociology of Violence and Terrorism) by Iraqi author Ibrahim Al-Haidari, published by Dar Al-Saqi, Lebanon 2015. In his book, the researcher addresses the concept of terrorism and its consequences on the individual and social levels, taking into account the psychological dimension. The book provides evidence on the foundation of the fundamentalist and Salafist movements, and the roots of jihadist ideology and principles. ‘Al Sarab’ (The Mirage) by Jamal Sanad Al Suwaidi from UAE, published by The Emirates Centre for Strategic Studies and Research, 2015. The study tackles the phenomena of politicised religious groups and addresses the religious thoughts and the political successors of those groups. The study also seeks to provide an understanding of the obstacles hindering the development, modernity and progress, in the Arab and Islamic Worlds. ‘Al qurban al badeel’ (The alternative communion) by Fathy Abdelsamie from Egypt and published by Al Dar Al Massriah Al Lubnaniah, 2015 This sociological study analyses the non-violent approaches in popular culture in southern Egypt, specifically when resolving conflict and revenge. The author traces the significance of the ??”communion” in these rituals. The short list in the ‘translation’ includes two translations from English to Arabic Language and one translation from Arabic to French language; the titles are;  ‘The Meaning of Meaning’ authored by Ogden and Richards and translated from English to Arabic by Keyan Yahya from Iraq, published by Dar al Kitab Al Jadeed, Lebanon 2015. This is the first translation of the book in Arabic after more than ninety years. The study is pioneer in its field of philosophy of language. The translator, Dr Keyan Yahya, is a researcher in the Arabic language and a seasoned translator. ‘The Death of the Critic’, authored by Ronan McDonald. Translated from English to Arabic by Fakhri Saleh from Jordan, and published by the National Center for Translation, Egypt 2014.  The text highlights the importance of the critic, tracking the historical progress and the development of its role, leading to its "death" in the latter half of the 20th century. It defends the evaluative criticism, and how its lack is a symptom of general moral relativism and anti-authoritarianism. The translator, Fakhri Saleh is a prominent critic and writer specializing in English literature and philosophy. ‘Sémaphores, Carnet II’ by late novelist Gamal El-Ghitani, translated from Arabic into French by Emmanuel Varlet from France, published by Editions Du Seuil, Paris 2014. The story is a biographical account of Gamal El-Ghitani’s life and experiences. The word Sémaphores in French refers to the light railway signals, which the author deploys in describing his journeys. The translator, Emmanuel Varlet, specializes in literary Arabic translation and Arab culture, he speaks Arabic fluently and has translated works for many Arab authors including; Syrian novelist Rosa Yaseen Hasan, Egyptian author Mohamed Salah al-Azab, Kurdish-Syrian writer Salim Barakat and Saudi writer Yousef Al-Mohaimeed. The Sheikh Zayed Book Award announced a few days ago, the short lists in Literature and Children's literature categories, and will continue the rest of the short lists within the next few days.