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The Sheikh Zayed Book Award, SZBA, hosted the second instalment in its series of international seminars in Milan on 5th October, as part of its commitment to advance Arab culture.
Entitled ‘A Dialogue Between Arab and Italian Literature’, the event was held at the museum Villa Necchi Campiglio and introduced the Italian audience to the most notable initiatives by the Sheikh Zayed Book Award that encourage annual nominations from outside the Arab region.
The seminar welcomed Consul General of the United Arab Emirates in Milano along with Consul Generals of Egypt and Kuwait and an array of authors, publishers and translators. The event was inaugurated with a speech by Dr. Ali bin Tamim, Secretary-General of SZBA, followed by a note by Abdullah Majid Al Ali, Acting Executive Director of the National Library Sector at the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi and Member of the Board of Trustees of the Award.
The event also included a panel discussion featuring renowned Professor and philosopher Carlo Sini; Italian publisher and founder of Marcos y Marcos publishing house Marco Zapparoli; Italian author and journalist Alessandro Zaccuri; philosopher and academic Paolo Spincci; representative of Milan National Library Aldo Pirola, and Italian editor and journalist Paolo Gualandris who moderated the talk.
Dr. Ali bin Tamim spoke about the cultural initiatives and the global dimension of the Award, and the translation fund that aims to introduce Italian culture to Arab audiences. "A civilisation is a broad and extensive cultural entity, which is highly susceptible to the influence of other civilisations, leading to enriching human societies and history in general," he said.
"The interaction between different cultures and civilisations depends primarily on translation, not as an intellectual luxury, but due to the intrinsic human need to connect with others. This profound role of translation affects the shaping of perceptions, diversifying cultural and intellectual heritage, enhancing the means to understand others, adapting with progress and expanding knowledge. Consequently, we at the Award encourage all fruitful collaborations, due to our strong belief in sustaining a healthy dialogue between cultures and civilisations, for the great role it plays in fostering development and growth, as there is no civilisation that arose on its own in isolation from the rest of the world," Dr. bin Tamim continued.
Abdullah Al Ali spoke about the many continuous efforts of DCT Abu Dhabi in promoting translation, cultural development, intellectual thought, and the heritage of the United Arab Emirates, and how the SZBA translation fund plays a key role in furthering these endeavours, saying, "This seminar, alongside the numerous cultural initiatives launched by DCT Abu Dhabi, contributes to defining Abu Dhabi as a beacon for culture on the international front. Through these many projects, such as the Louvre Abu Dhabi that was opened last year and the upcoming world museums of Saadiyat Cultural District, which include the Zayed National Museum and Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, we aim to spread the values of tolerance, understanding and respect for others globally."
The event also featured poetry recitals from poems by Arab poet Al Ma’arri and famous Italian poet Dante, on which Aldo Pirola commented, "We heard a text by Abu al Ala’ al Ma’arri in Arabic and a text for Dante in both Arabic and Italian, and despite the fact that each text was produced three-centuries apart - the text of Al Mua’arri from the 11th Century and Dante’s from the 14th - the similarities between the two are very clear in terms of the concepts they explore, as both discuss religion and life. This indicates the universality and humanity of literature, which is constantly invested in the life of humans, their thoughts, delights and troubles. We are in extreme need today for opportunities that encourage translation as a profession and a text concerning humanity such as this one given to us by the Sheikh Zayed Book Award."
The Milan instalment was the second in a series of seminars organised by SZBA this year to promote award-winning books, with the next event to be held in the United Kingdom. Previous seminars have been held in London, Moscow, Lisbon, and most recently New York.
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