Today's Edition
MAYS IBRAHIM (ABU DHABI)
The recognition bestowed by the Sheikh Zayed Book Award (SZBA) plays an integral role in advancing the cultural and literary contributions of the Arab world, said Dr. Houssem Eddine Chachia, who recently won the SZBA in the Young Author category.
Chachia earned this recognition for his work Al Mashhad al-Moriski: Sardiyat al-Tard fi al-Fikr al-Espani (The Morisco Landscape Narratives of Expulsion in Modern Spanish Thought), issued by the Centre for Research and Knowledge Intercommunication in 2023.
In an interview with Aletihad during the 33rd Abu Dhabi International Book Fair (ADIBF), Chachia expressed his happiness and pride in winning the SZBA. He emphasised the significance of the award and its global reputation.
“Being recognised among over one thousand participants in the young author category is an immense honour,” he said, expressing hope that this type of recognition of his efforts as an Arab scholar will contribute to promoting knowledge in the Arab world.
Chachia, a Tunisian academic at Tunis University, specialises in modern history. He has served as a visiting professor at the University of Murcia in Spain and a visiting researcher at Harvard University's Centre for Middle Eastern Studies.
His research focuses on the Moriscos, resulting in multiple publications in Arabic, Spanish, and English. Notable works include "Tunisia, the Mediterranean, and the Moriscos", "Between Two Banks: The Noble Morisco Path from Murcia to Tunisia," and "The Sephardic and Moriscos: The Journey of expulsion and installation in the Maghreb."
Chachia has also edited "Nasir aldiyn ealaa alqawm alkafirina" by Ahmad ibn Qasim al-Hajari. He has received grants and awards, including the Young Researcher Award in History in 2020 and the Ibn Battuta Award for Travel Literature in 2015.
Under the patronage of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Sheikh Zayed Book Award (SZBA), organised by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC), part of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), has announced the winners of its 18th edition following a meeting of its Board of Trustees earlier this month.
Submissions for the 18th edition were the highest in the award’s history, with a total of 4,240 nominations received, marking a 35% increase over last year’s 3,151 submissions. The number of participating countries grew to 74, including 19 Arab nations and 55 countries from around the world.
The winners will be honoured at a ceremony on Tuesday organised by the ALC during the 33rd ADIBF, which kicked off on Monday at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC Abu Dhabi).
Noting the importance of this annual event, Chachia said: “The Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, which is reflective of the UAE’s booming cultural scene, has become a global gateway through which people from around the world are introduced to Arab culture, literature, and research contributions”.
Held under the patronage of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, this yearly gathering welcomes the Arab Republic of Egypt as Guest of Honour to engage the audience with a rich and diverse cultural programme.
The ADIBF, hosting 1,350 publishers from 90 countries, including 140 first-time participants, is a melting pot of cultural exchange and knowledge dissemination. This year, 12 countries are making their debut appearance, reflecting the fair's growing international stature.
