Book Signing Corner - Hall 10
Embark on a literary journey as we bring you an exclusive session with the distinguished winners of the 18th edition of the Sheikh Zayed Book Award.
Join the laureates as they delve into the inspiration behind their award-winning works, exploring how their contributions have significantly enriched the diverse landscape of Arabic literature.
HE Dr Ali bin Tamim holds the position of Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre. In parallel to his current role, he serves as Secretary-General of the Sheikh Zayed Book Award, and Editor-in-Chief of Al-Markaz: Majallat al-Dirāsāt al-ʿArabiyya (The Centre: Journal of Arabic Studies), the first peer-reviewed journal that is completely published in Arabic by Brill publishing house.
Prior to his current role, HE bin Tamim held various positions related to the cultural and heritage sectors in the UAE. He served as Chairperson of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre, Member of the Jury for the "Prince of Poets" television programme, and jury member in several prominent cultural awards in the UAE, most notably the Dubai Culture Award and the Khalifa Award for Education.
HE bin Tamim also managed the Kalima Project for Translation, he was the General Manager of Abu Dhabi Media Company from 2016 to 2019, as well as Chairman of the Executive Committee and Member of the Board of Directors of the National Library and Archives from 2015 to 2018.
Dr Ali bin Tamim received his Doctorate Degree in Literary Critique from Yarmouk University in Jordan in 2005, as well as a Master’s Degree in Arabic Language and Literature from the University of Jordan in 2001. HE contributed to a range of media and cultural initiatives in the United Arab Emirates.
Sheikh Zayed Book Award Literature Award Winner
Dr Reem Bassiouney is an Egyptian author, as well as a professor and chair of the linguistics department at the American University in Cairo since 2013. She previously worked as an assistant professor of linguistics at Georgetown University (2007-2013) and as a lecturer of linguistics at the University of Utah (2005-2007), in addition to teaching at the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge (2002-2005), and serving as a member of the judging panels for the Excellence in Literature Award 2024 from the Supreme Council of Culture, as well as the International Prize for Arabic Fiction (IPAF) in 2023.
Dr Bassiouney holds a PhD in sociolinguistics from the University of Oxford (2002), a master’s degree in sociolinguistics from the University of Oxford (1998), and a bachelor’s degree in English from Alexandria University (1994).
She has garnered acclaim by notable critics from Egypt, other Arab countries, and around the world. Dr Bassiouney has authored a collection of novels, which were all published in several editions. Most of her works topped the best-seller list and were translated by Dr Roger Allen, who also worked on the novels of the great Naguib Mahfouz.Young Author Award Winner
Dr Houssem Eddine Chachia is a Tunisian academic specialising in modern history at Tunis University. He has served as a visiting professor at the University of Murcia in Spain and a visiting researcher at the Centre for Middle Eastern Studies at Harvard University in the United States.
His research focuses mainly on the Moriscos, on which he has published numerous studies and books in Arabic, Spanish, and English. His works include “Tunisia, the Mediterranean, and the Moriscos” (co-published with Tunisian Academic Press in 2023), a Spanish book titled “Between Two Banks: The Noble Morisco Path from Murcia to Tunisia” (co-published with Murcia Academic Press in 2017), and “The Sephardic and Moriscos: The Journey of Expulsion and Installation in the Maghreb” (Arab Institute for Studies and Publishing, 2015). He has also edited the book “Nasir Aldiyn Ealaa Alqawm Alkafirina” by the Morisco Ahmad ibn Qasim al-Hajari.
Dr Chachia has received several grants and awards, including the Young Researcher Award in History 2020, presented by the Beit Al-Hikma in Tunisia, the Ibn Battuta Award for Travel Literature 2015 in the studies and manuscript editing category, and the 2009 Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs award for translation.Translation Award Winner
Dr Ahmed Somai is a Writer, Translator, and Professor of Higher Education in Modern and Contemporary Italian Language and Literature at the Tunisian UniversityManouba). He retired in 2018 after 38 years in higher education.
He holds a PhD in Modern and Contemporary Italian Literature from Sorbonne University Paris 3. He began teaching at the Faculty of Literature in Tunis in 1980 and held several positions, including Head of the Languages Department and Coordinator of the Italian Section.Contribution to the Development of Nations award winner
Dr Khalifa Al Romaithi is recognised as a pioneer in the science of National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) in the UAE and was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Geospatial World Forum in April 2019 in Amsterdam as a “pioneer in the UAE and regional geospatial community”.
Dr Al Romaithi has authored more than 20 reports on policy and strategy, publishing over 22 technical research papers in specialised journals, seminars, and conferences. He has been a frequent speaker at a wide range of local and international conferences and seminars.
He holds scientific degrees in aerial survey sciences, in addition to a master’s degree in geographic information systems from the Faculty ITC of the University of Twente in the Netherlands, and a doctorate in geospatial from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM).
Dr Al Romaithi held high government positions where he acquired expertise in strategic planning and geographical policies. His knowledge of the field of surveying and spatial data enabled him to scientifically determine the locations of geographic names, where he was able to aggregate a large portion of these names over four decades.Arab Culture in Other Languages Award Winner
Frank Griffel is a Professor of Religious Studies at Yale University in the United States, teaching courses on the history of Islamic thought, Islamic theology, and Islamic philosophy.
Griffel studied philosophy, Arabic literature, and Islamic studies at universities in Göttingen (Germany), Damascus, Berlin, and London, and holds a PhD from the Freie Universität in Berlin.
He worked as a research fellow at the Orient Institute of the German Oriental Society in Beirut, Lebanon, before moving on to his position at Yale.
His published works cover Al-Ghazali’s contribution to the development of Islamic theology and the history of philosophy; Griffel published German translations of works by Al-Ghazali “Faysal al-Tafriqa” and Ibn Rushd, namely his “Fasl al-Maqal”.
He also focuses on contemporary Muslim thought, the development of the judgment of apostasy in Islam, and the formation of post-classical philosophy in Islam.Moreover, Griffel is working on a long-term project to develop a comprehensive history of Islamic theology that can be used as a textbook in college courses.
Publishing and Technology Award Winner
Bayt Elhekma for Creative Industries - China, based in Cairo and founded in 2013, aims to establish a cross-cultural dialogue between China and the Arab world. The institution is considered a platform for Chinese-Arab cultural cooperation in the fields of publishing, translation, cultural investment, education, and training, in addition to its activities in producing documentary films and animation, establishing Arabic digital information banks, e-book trade, and organizing international conferences and events.
Bayt Elhekma for Creative Industries - China has received numerous awards from various official and cultural entities in the countries where it operates, confirming its importance in the preservation and promotion of Chinese and Arab cultures.
Editing of Arabic Manuscripts Winner
Egyptian Author Dr Mustafa Said is a musician, composer, and performer, specialising in classical Arabic music, specifically Arabic Maqam music. He is a researcher in musicology, with most of his research focusing on the history of Arabic melody and its relationship with other cultures that adopt the Maqami music system as the basis for their melodies.
Dr Said founded the “Asil Ensemble” for classical Arabic music and has numerous musical releases, articles, and research publications.
He has participated in several leading musical forums as a composer, performer, and singer, in addition to lecturing at various conferences.
Dr Mustafa Said has received a range of awards, notably the Maqam Forum Award in Azerbaijan in 2009 and the Aga Khan Award in Portugal in 2019