The role of Al Qasimi opens the Sharjah Festival for First African Literature

Sharjah, January 25 / WAM / Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah. Foreign Affairs of the University City Hall in Sharjah.

Sheikha Badour Al Qasimi honored during the Nigerian novelist and Walli Swenca festival with the “Sharjah Literary Estimation” award in appreciation of his distinguished literary career and his contributions to enriching international literature.

During the honoring ceremony, a visual video that highlighted the achievements of Swinca was the first African writer to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1986, whose work was famous for exploring freedom and social justice issues while mixing with African myths and traditions.

Sheikha Badour Bint Sultan Al Qasimi said that the opening of the first session of the Sharjah Festival of African Literature is a unique step towards strengthening the bridges of human communication. In an era in which the world has become more connected, the importance of investing this rapprochement is highlighted to identify cultures, customs and arts for various peoples. Our Arab nation has known these ties through Its full history, where economic achievements formed a gateway to interact with the cultures of other peoples, and the African continent had a prominent role in those relations that were based on mutual influence.

She added that the festival provides a unique opportunity to delve deeper into one of the richest and most diverse human civilizations, as Africa carries in its flanks a long cultural heritage that tells the story of a continent that formed its identity throughout the ages of ancient civilizations that affected the world to contemporary cultural movements that express its renewed spirit, which is a human treasure priceless.

His Excellency Ahmed bin Rakad Al -Amiri, CEO of the Sharjah Book Authority, stressed that the first festival of its kind in the UAE and the region embodies the vision of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, who has always emphasized that the writers are the best ambassadors for their countries and that identifying any nation is reading The intellectual and cognitive product of its writers.

Al -Amiri said that through this festival, we translate in the Sharjah Book Authority, the directives of Sheikha Badour Bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Sharjah Book Authority, which has long confirmed its interest in literature and publishing in Africa because of its important position in the history and present of global literature that made it an inspiration and strength for individuals and societies. Either, stressing that Sharjah with this festival establishes a new international event on the world’s agenda to discover the beauty and depth of African culture and turn literature into a common land that the Arab world lives and communicates with its African counterpart with the diversity of its cultural and civilizational references.

For its part, the Nigerian writer and female writer, had it not been for Shoniein that we highly appreciate the role of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah and the directives of Sheikha Badour Bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Sharjah Book Authority, which embodies the true friendship with Africa, where we share with the Arab world in deep historical, commercial and cultural roots and we bring us these roots today With great writers, they left their mark in international literature in a step that enhances the interdependence between two regions rich in ancient heritage at a time when Sharjah has become a center that connects people to books, culture and literature.

Sheikha Badour Bint Sultan Al Qasimi toured the areas of organizing the activities of the Sharjah Festival for African Literature, where she was briefed on artistic performances that celebrate the cultural diversity and the rich heritage of the African continent. She also followed the artistic and interactive workshops presented by the festival to the public, especially for children, which include experiences of identifying traditional crafts and African heritage arts .

The opening ceremony of the festival started with an artistic show presented by the “Orchestra Forum”, where Arab heritage music was mixed with melodies inspired by the African cultural heritage, which created a musical experience that reflects the cultural harmony between the two sides and the band reviewed through its diversion the diversity of African cultures through traditional colored fashion and designs that reflect the originality of the regions that It represents it, which gave the ceremony a pleasant and vibrant character.

Serious names of African literature, such as Chika Unicoy from Nigeria and Maara Minsis of Kenya and Jennifer Macumbabi from Zimbabwe, along with the American Nigerian origin, Nedi Oukarafur, and the festival also offers 4 cooking sessions for African cooking lovers offered by a group of African chefs, in addition to concerts gathered Between the traditional and Arab African tunes and wrapped shows give an interactive nature to the festival atmosphere throughout its four days.

The Sharjah African Literature Festival hosts 29 literature from the Emirates and Africa, including Al -Tanzani, Abdel -Razzaq Qarb, and the festival program includes 8 discussion episodes and 3 inspiring seminars, along with 12 interactive workshops for children, highlighting the African heritage, such as pottery workshops, jewelry design and tale drawing.

• For more: Follow Khaleejion 24 Arabic, Khaleejion 24 English, Khaleejion 24 Live, and for social media follow us on Facebook and