Manga Style! is back and looking for visual storytellers to share their perspectives on the multicultural facets of life in Qatar.
To mark the 50-year anniversary of diplomatic relations between Qatar and Japan, and as part of robust cultural ties firmly established during the Qatar-Japan 2012 Year of Culture, the Qatar Museums Years of Culture initiative launched the second edition of Manga Style! in collaboration with the Embassy of Japan in Qatar and Geekdom – Doha Film Institute. The competition invites Qatari and resident manga enthusiasts to submit visually dynamic stories that showcase cultures of both countries under the theme Friendship.
According to Qatar Museums Director of Cultural Diplomacy Aisha Ghanem Al Attiya, the Years of Culture initiative has established a rich legacy of cooperation between Qatar and the 10 countries they have partnered with in the decade since the initiative was launched. She said that they are particularly honoured to have built long-lasting ties with their very first Year of Culture partner – Japan – that have only grown over the past decade.
Manga Style! competition
The Manga Style! competition is an opportunity to bring together two distinct cultural legacies steeped in rich storytelling practices – the Arab world’s renowned oral storytelling traditions brought to life through vibrant manga-style illustrations.
Manga is a series of comics or graphic novels. Most manga follows a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century and are rooted in even earlier Japanese artforms. The term manga is used in Japan to refer to both comics and cartooning.
Original stories can be submitted in Arabic or English via the website, yearsofculture.qa starting this May until 31 July. Entries are free and applicants can submit up to three different stories. Each entry should be a minimum of 16 pages.
All entries will be collected and shared with the Qatar Museums Curatorial Team and undergo a comprehensive review from representatives of Qatar Museums, the Embassy of Qatar in Tokyo, the Embassy of Japan in Qatar, and Geekdom. Winners will be announced online via the Years of Culture website and via social media by the publication of a digital copy of the winning stories in early September.
Cash prizes and more
First place winner will receive a cash prize of QAR20,000, second place winner will receive QAR15,000 and third place winner will receive QAR10,000. Competition partner Geekdom will share copies of the winning manga during their next gathering in November. Additional partnerships and prizes will be announced online.
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