Poets confirm the role of the Al Dhafra Book Festival in preserving popular heritage
Al Dhafra, December 14, 2014 – Popular poets confirmed that the cultural and heritage activities offered by Al Dhafra Book Festival 2014 in an innovative format contribute greatly to preserving the popular heritage of the UAE, and enhance the presence of popular poetry in the memory of generations.
They appreciated the role of the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Center, the organization organizing the exhibition, in stimulating the cultural movement in various regions of the country, and its contribution to building a reading generation that adheres to its customs, traditions, and ancient cultural heritage.
The poet Sultan Al Ketbi explained that the Al Dhafra Book Festival enjoys a great reputation thanks to the efforts of the Abu Dhabi Center for the Arabic Language, and that its success came as a result of the diversity of its activities and their cognitive and cultural richness. In addition to the books that this event provides to its visitors, which reached 50 thousand titles in this session; The festival presents a comprehensive folk heritage, including folk poetry, folk tales, crafts and various arts, which is received by an audience that loves and is loyal to its heritage and culture.
He expressed his happiness at participating in the “Poetry Nights” program, which the festival is keen to organize in every session, praising its role in introducing the public to popular poets, and creating an interactive relationship between them that enables the poets to know the public’s opinions about their poetry.
He said that the ongoing program for the third year in a row is an opportunity for poets to meet and find real communication between them, in an enthusiastic and competitive atmosphere.
Poet Rashid Al Futtaimah Al Mansouri expressed his pride in the advanced level achieved by the Al Dhafra Book Festival, considering that it is something expected from the Abu Dhabi Center for the Arabic Language, with the competencies it possesses and the great support it enjoys from the state.
Al Mansouri said that the festival played a major role in spreading culture and preserving the Emirati heritage, and that the “Poetry Nights” event provided poets and the public alike a valuable opportunity to get to know young poets and learn about their poetic experiences.
Poet Hamdan Al-Samahi stressed that the festival occupies a great place in his heart and conscience, as it discovers talents, nurtures them, and presents poetry, culture, and arts in an innovative manner, and within a wonderful organization.
Al-Samahi said that the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Center has proven its presence in Al Ain and Al Dhafra through the two book festivals it organizes in the two cities, which has contributed to disseminating folk poetry, Emirati customs and traditions, heritage arts and crafts, and promoting the culture of reading in areas far from the center of the capital.
He urged young Emirati poets to participate in the “Poetry Nights” program, and to pay attention to the poem and its basics until it comes out in the desired form.
Poet Sultan bin Khalif Al Taniji said that the book festivals organized by the Abu Dhabi Center for the Arabic Language preserved the Emirati folk heritage and national identity, noting that the “Poetry Nights” program was keen to remind people of popular poets, and became a station for exchanging various poetic experiences.
Al Taniji spoke about the importance of hosting the Al Ain and Al Dhafra Book Festivals with great poets with the aim of introducing the new generation to them and their inspiring poetic experiences.
He considered “Poetry Nights” a revival of poetry councils, which stopped in the mid-nineties, pointing out that the center provided unlimited support in the field of collecting collections of popular Emirati poets, and contributing to their publication.
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