The 3rd Katara Prize for Prophet’s Poet received a huge response with as many as 942 entries from participants around the globe, including several from non-Arab countries. Winners will be selected at the finals, which will be held at the Katara Cultural Village from 25 to 28 April.
The prestigious award carries cash prizes worth a total of QAR 4.2 million. The contest, featuring original Arabic poems on the life and traditions of Prophet Mohammed (Peace Be Upon Him) is divided into two parts – Classical Poetry (Shaar Al Faseeh) and Colloquial Poetry (Shaar Al Nabti).
Al Sulaiti said that the largest number of entries were from Syria and Iraq (276), followed by Egypt and Sudan (257). The committee received 205 entries from the Maghreb countries and 158 entries from the Gulf region. The number of participants from non-Arab countries has increased to 46 from five entries received in the second edition of the competition.
Dr Khalid bin Ibrahim Al Sulaiti, General Manager of Katara Cultural Village, said that the number of participants this year has seen a huge increase compared to the second edition of the contest. The organising committee received 853 entries in Classical Poetry and 89 entries in Colloquial Poetry. The participants include 86 women. Fifteen best entries have been shortlisted in each category. These poems are already included in the finals.
Three winners will be selected during the finals and the names will be announced at the awarding ceremony on 28 April at the Katara Opera House. Qatar Television will do a live broadcast of the finals and the closing ceremony. First prize winners in each category will get a cash prize of QAR1 million each, while winners in second and third place will get QAR 700,000 and QAR 400,000, respectively.
The Prize aims to cultivate the love for The Prophet in the minds of the young generation and keep them attached to history and traditions. It also underlines the importance of poetry in uniting the Arab and Muslim communities and revive the great poetic tradition of the Islamic world.
For more information about The Prize, visit the Katara Cultural Village website at katara.net.