Budding poet or creative writer? Sharjah’s Barjeel Art Foundation has launched a new poetry initiative, Barjeel Poetry Prize.
The independent art foundation, which focuses on developing the art scene in the Arab region, is inviting poets from all around the world to respond to 20 works of Arab art from the 20th century.
Barjeel Poetry Prize aims to encourage fresh engagement with Arab paintings from the Barjeel collection, and to celebrate Arab art in all its forms by inviting poets to respond to it.
The poetry competition is split into six categories, both in Arabic and English, and the competition is running until Wednesday September 30. Prizes include $500 (just over Dhs1,800) for the first-prize winner and $250 (just over Dhs900) for each runner up.
The winning poems will also be published in literary magazine Rusted Radishes and displayed in the Barjeel museum beside the paintings in which they relate to.
The winners will be announced in the first week of December and the esteemed judging panel is made up of award-winning and widely acclaimed poets and writers Naomi Shihab Nye, Hala Alyan, Raymond Antrobus, Tishani Doshi, Asmaa Azaizeh, and Golan Haji.
Head here to learn about the different categories, view the paintings, and read the prize guidelines.
For all things art and culture related across Sharjah, head here. For Dubai click here, and for Abu Dhabi click here.
Ongoing until Wed Sep 30, www.barjeelartfoundation.org/news/barjeel-poetry-prize-2020.
