Literary Prize Honors Works Celebrating Arabic Culture in Chinese

ABU DHABI, May 7, 2012 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- The Sheikh Zayed Book Award, one of the world's most prestigious and well-funded prizes, has announced the introduction of a new category intended to celebrate the best literature in the World which revolves around Arabic Culture. The category, branded as "Sheikh Zayed Award for Arabic Culture in non-Arabic languages" and worth ¥1,287,816is devised to honor best written works in Chinese, German and English languages on the subject of the Arabic civilization and culture including novels, short stories, poems, biographies, history and arts.

This comes in parallel to the call of nominations to the Award's seventh Cycle 2012/2013. Accordingly, the Award is accepting nominations from authors and translators and publishers -including the newly introduced category- until September 30, 2012.

Since the appointment of its new Board of Trustees and Advisory Committee, the Abu Dhabi-based Sheikh Zayed Book Award has witnessed a number of amendments and upgrades introduced to the Award's structure and categories with ambitions to capitalize on the momentum it gained globally over the past few years since its inception. last year's cycle wrapped up with a total of 560 nominations from over 25 countries contended to win the hefty prizes across nine categories, collectively worth more than ¥12,019,719.

Over the past six years the Sheikh Zayed Book Award has recognized the literary and cultural achievements of more than 40 authors and institutions, including the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization - UNESCO, Brill Publishing House of Holland, Novelist Wacini Laredj of France; Pedro Montavez of Spain; Ibrahim al-Kouni of Libya and Orientalist Xhong Jikun of China.

In addition to the new category, publishers are invited to be nominated in "Publishing and Cultural Technologies" which recognizes publishing houses promoting the Arab history and culture.

Secretary General of the Award, Ali Bin Tamim, also announced the purchase of one thousand copies of any winning book in each category. This initiative aims at supporting publishers and distributors on both Arab and international scale.  

Interested authors, translators and publishers can apply online via Award's website http://www.zayedaward.ae. (click on the English tab).

Sheikh Zayed Book Award recognizes outstanding writers, intellectuals, publishers as well as young talents whose writings and translations of humanities have enriched Arab cultural, literary and social life.