10-03-2016
Winners for Third Hamdan Bin Mohammed Heritage Center Qasidah par Coeur Competition Announced
Dubai, 10 March, 2016: The winners of the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Heritage Center Qasidah par Coeur Competition were announced at the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature 2016. This was the competition’s most successful run, with students from 70 schools around the GCC performing poetry in Arabic and English.
The competition, now in its third year, has become a regular feature at the Festival. Three rounds are conducted with 200 winners from the inter-school rounds progressing to the semi-finals stage. The top performers in each age category then compete in the finals held during the Festival.
Finalists in the 8-13 category performed their own choice of poems, while those in the 14-18 age category chose from anthologies provided by the Festival and the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Heritage Center (HHC). Participants in the 14-18 age group were also required to give a short 50-word explanation on their choice of poem. The competition is an additional effort in the Year of Reading, declared by UAE President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, to encourage children to enjoy reading books in the UAE.
Students were evaluated on the interpretation of their chosen poems along with their performances. The Arabic competition was judged by a panel from
the Hamdan bin Mohammed Heritage Center while the students performing in English were judged by World Poetry Slam Champion Harry Baker and poet AF Harrold.
Dr. Amina K. Aldhaheri, Director of Research and Studies at Hamdan Bin Mohammed Heritage Center thanked the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature for their continuous efforts and said, ‘We are pleased at HHC to provide support to this important cultural event for three years. The Hamdan bin Mohammed Heritage Center considers the event an important way to sustain and spread the country’s intangible heritage interpreted in the art of Nabati and Classical Poetry and we wish this Festival and its student participants continued growth and success in the coming years.’
Isobel Abulhoul, CEO of the Emirates Literature Foundation and Festival Director, Emirates Airline Festival of Literature had this to say about the competition: ‘What an incredible experience it is to listen to these young people, the next generation of the UAE, narrate timeless poetry. The audience was captivated by the skills on display today.
‘We are delighted that the Hamdan bin Mohammed Heritage Center is providing students in the country the opportunity to read and enjoy poetry and to continue the age-old tradition of oral poetry recitation. Together our organisations will work to promote a reading culture in the country.’
| 8-13 Age Group
Best English Poetry Performance Gowri Kishore Best Nabati Poetry Performance First position: Hessa Jasim Second position: Hind Obaid Al Muhairi Third position (joint): Khalid Ahmad Al Shaikh Third position (joint): Asma Ahmad Khalfan Al Suwaidi Best Classical Arabic Poetry Performance First position: Lara Zaid Qasim Second position: Jad Matar Third position: Rewaa Ismail Zainu |
14-18 Age Group
Best English Poetry Performance Prabjeet Singh Best Nabati Poetry Performance First position: Salama Mahmoud Rashid Second position: Hind Muhsin Al Marzuqi Third position: Ayesha Abdullah al-Haj Best Classical Arabic Poetry Performance First position: Rawia Al Luqays Second position: Shahd Jamal Third position: Shamma Marwan Al Zarouni |
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ENDS