Basra foundation launches Al-Farahidi Prize to promote writing, creativity

BASRA— The “Injaz Basra for Development and Advancement” foundation announced the launch of the Al-Farahidi Prize for Writing and Authorship 2024 on Tuesday. The annual award aims to encourage creativity among authors and will also be granted for future works. Submissions are open from today, Wednesday, and will be accepted until Oct. 18, 2024.

Safaa Al-Dahie, Director of Injaz Basra Foundation, told 964media, “We have launched a press conference to announce the first edition of the Al-Farahidi Prize for Writing and Authorship, which focuses on books in fields such as literature, self-help, academic and scientific writing, storytelling, and playwriting.”

Al-Dahie noted that the award is designed to motivate writers to submit their work. “A city like Basra needs an annual prize like this. The prize will cover works produced between 2022 and 2024.” Details about the financial reward have yet to be disclosed.

The prize, officially named the “Al-Farahidi Prize for Writing and Authorship 2024,” will continue in subsequent years, focusing on works produced in future years, such as 2025 and beyond.

Selection criteria will be published on platforms associated with Al-Farahidi Street, and submissions will be evaluated by specialized committees. Prizes will be awarded to the top three works.

Al-Farahidi Street, established in 2015, is home to more than 42 bookstores and four local publishing houses. The street has become a cultural center in Basra, akin to Baghdad’s Al-Mutanabbi Street. Its transformation began through the efforts of the Injaz organization, which initially dedicated a section of the street for small cultural activities.

Al-Farahidi, full name Khalil ibn Ahmad al-Farahidi (718–791 AD), was a renowned Arab philologist, grammarian, and lexicographer. He is best known for his groundbreaking contributions to the study of the Arabic language, particularly for developing the rules of Arabic prosody, the science of poetic meters, which provided a structured system for understanding and composing Arabic poetry.

Basra, Iraq’s main port city, is a vital economic hub due to its access to the Arabian Gulf and its oil-rich surroundings. Known for its historical significance, Basra has played a central role in trade and culture throughout the centuries.

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