Sheikh Zayed Book Award extends deadline of receiving nominations for the sixth session

Qubaisi says SZBA’s decision aims to provide greater opportunity for those wishing to participate in its sixth session. Abu Dhabi, August 24, 2011 - The Sheikh Zayed Book Award, one of the world's most prestigious and well-funded prizes, has announced the extension of the nomination submission deadline until October 1st, 2011 instead of September 1st, 2011. The extension takes into account the fall of the holy month of Ramadan and the Eid Holidays between August and early September of this year. Mr. Jumaa Al Qubaisi, Deputy Director-General of the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage for the National Library and a member of the Board of Trustees of SZBA said “Our decision aims to provide a greater opportunity for those wishing to participate in the sixth session of the Award after the end of the holiday period, giving candidates enough time to submit their participation and send their works.” The Award’s administrative office has started receiving nominations since mid-May for the Award’s nine categories; Best Contribution to the Development of Nations, Children’s Literature, Young Author, Translation, Literature, Fine Arts, Best Technology in the Field of Culture, Best Publishing House, and Cultural Personality of the Year. For the Cultural Personality of the Year award, applicants should be nominated by academic, research or cultural institutions or by three literary, intellectual, and cultural personalities. For the other eight categories, applicants are requested to fill in the Nomination Form in person. The announcement of the deadline extension comes in conjunction with the start of the work of the screening and reading committees of the SZBA last week regarding the initial evaluation of nominations the Award in its 2011/2012 session. The committees have been meeting each month since the opening of nominations for this session. Qubaisi said that the committees’ work would continue throughout the next two months in parallel with the ongoing receipt of nominations for the Award until October 1. The screening and reading process will follow the start of the work of the jury panels, which will issue the final evaluation of the submitted works, followed by the announcement of the winners in early February 2012. Applicants must fill in the application form either online www.zayedaward.ae or by downloading the form. All nominated works must have been published in the last two years. The work must be written in Arabic, except for the Translation Award. Once completed and signed, the application forms should be submitted to the SZBA head-office along with the candidate's resume, a passport copy, a personal photo, and five copies of the nominated book. Works nominated for the Award of the Best Technology in Culture, can be in digital format.