UAE: Golden Narrative Prize established for Emirati literature (Sard Al Thahab)

The name of the award was inspired by the poetry of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founding father of the UAE. In his verse, he uses the word “Sard” (narrative) for discipline and consistency, and “Thahab” (golden) for beauty and aesthetics. The name represents what the art of storytelling possesses in terms of the discipline of content and form, in a way that fosters communication and openness.

The Sard Al Thahab Prize will preserve the art of storytelling by promoting its research and inspiring its use and expression in contemporary productions. It also aims to discover talented short story writers and publish their fictional works, while honoring established creators in the field of short fiction.

ALC Chairman Dr Ali Bin Tamim said: “The Al Dhafra region holds an important place in the history of the UAE, so this Book Festival [which ends on December 11] Ideal place to launch the (Sard Al Thahab) Awards. With this award, we will further strengthen our strategy to strengthen the UAE’s culture and identity while enriching and preserving the Arabic language.

“We also aim to encourage creativity and to inspire generations of Arabs to use their imaginations and express their experiences. This award is significant because it draws inspiration from the art of storytelling in all its forms in the Arabic language, which has been around since its inception. has always been an integral part of the Arabic literary tradition,” he added.

The awards comprise six award categories, including the Short Story Award for Unpublished Stories and the Short Story Anthology Award, which recognizes published Emirati or Arabic stories that draw inspiration from tradition.

The Popular Narratives category recognizes works that collect popular folk tales that build collective memory and help shape cultural identity, or acclaimed research that analyzes these stories, while the Narrator and Biographers award recognizes narrators of popular literature and biographies in the UAE and the wider Arab world.

Other categories include the Illustrated Story Prize, which selects narratives that rely on images in their structure, and the Emirati Storytelling Prize, which recognizes literature that explores Emirati identity and is inspired by the country’s history, geography and symbols.