Doha, Qatar: The 11th Katara Arabic Novel Festival was inaugurated yesterday by the General Manager of the Cultural Village Foundation – Katara Prof Dr. Khalid bin Ibrahim Al-Sulaiti in the presence of a number of officials, media professionals, and a large audience of cultural enthusiasts.
In his remarks on the sidelines of the inaugural ceremony, Al-Sulaiti noted that the Katara Prize for Arabic Novel has achieved numerous accomplishments over the past eleven years, consolidating its position as the most important Arab platform celebrating the art of the novel and enhancing its presence regionally and internationally.
He said the award has witnessed increasing interest from writers and creatives, and has contributed to conveying the Arab narrative voice to the world through Unesco’s adoption of the International Novel Week from October 13 to 19 of each year. This event, being held in Hall 12 at Katara, is supported by the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO) and Arab Ministers of Culture.
He emphasised that this edition of the Katara Arabic Novel Festival is exceptional by all standards, as the award enters its second decade. The award committee has adopted new initiatives and projects that will be announced during the festival’s current edition.
The opening ceremony also included the opening of an exhibition chronicling the life and career of the late writer and diplomat Ghazi Al-Gosaibi, who was named Personality of the Year. In addition to the author’s autobiography, the exhibition included excerpts from his more than 70 works in the fields of literature, poetry, thought, and development.
The “Journey of the Saudi Novel: From its Foundation to Globalization” exhibition was also inaugurated, marking the selection of the Saudi novel as the guest of honour for the current edition of the award.
The exhibition reviewed the prominent milestones in the history of the Saudi novel, which began its journey in the mid-twentieth century. In the years following its beginnings, the Saudi novel transitioned from a stage of social documentation to a stage of artistic maturity. This was marked by the publication of Hamed Manhouri’s novel “The Price of Sacrifice” in 1959.
The exhibition also documented the Saudi female novel, whose early beginnings go back to Samira Khashoggi. The exhibition addressed the Saudi novel’s experience with drama, as some Saudi novels were adapted for the screen, giving them a broader public reach.
The exhibition also addressed the era of young novelists who were distinguished by their boldness, experimentation, and openness to unprecedented topics. The exhibition also documented the awards won by the Saudi novel at Arab and international forums, enhancing its presence and confirming its artistic value.
Finally, the exhibition addressed the promising future of the Saudi novel, given institutional support, the influence of the Kingdom’s cultural openness, the presence of Saudi writers at international book fairs, and the growing translation movement.
The first day of the festival witnessed the opening of the third Katara Book Fair, with the participation of approximately 90 Qatari and Arab publishing houses. The festival also featured the launch of the tenth edition of the Katara Prize for Arabic Novel, along with an accompanying symposium titled “The Saudi Novel: Origins and Development.”
