Karbala youth poetry festival honors talents from Dhi Qar and Nineveh

KARBALA — Poet Mohammed Jabbar Lafta from Dhi Qar won the award for the best classical Arabic poem at a youth literary festival in Karbala for his collection “Before Water Was Created.” Meanwhile, poet Aisha Abdul Sattar from Nineveh received the award for the best prose poem for her collection “Chatter on the Carpet of Solitude.”

The festival, held at the Central Library in Karbala, featured 30 poetry collections by young poets from various provinces across Iraq. Three committees were responsible for reading, discussing, and evaluating the submissions before narrowing them down to a shortlist of seven collections.

After scoring, the committees selected the winners in the classical and prose poetry categories.

Salam Al-Bannai, Head of the Union of Writers and Authors in Karbala, told 964media, “We held the first edition of the Karbala Youth Poetry Award, aiming to support young creative talents. Thirty poets from different Iraqi provinces participated.” He added, “The Union is committed to publishing the winning collections.”

Aisha Abdul Sattar, winner of the prose poetry award, shared her view with 964media, “This competition is vital for enriching the cultural scene with new faces and voices.”

For her, such opportunities ensure that poetry remains alive. “I am grateful to those who read and support us, and I encourage others to keep participating, whether in poetry or literature in general.”

Mohammed Jabbar Lafta, winner of the classical poetry award, for his collection “Before Water Was Created”, stated, “My expectations for winning fluctuated, but when I received the call from Salam Al-Bannai informing me of my inclusion in the shortlist and then of my victory, I felt a mix of joy, pride, and responsibility to continue presenting my best work.”

Omar Al-Sarray, Secretary-General of the Iraqi Writers’ Union, told 964media, “The Karbala Union of Writers has crowned its activities with an essential step through the Karbala Youth Poetry Festival. Such events are crucial in supporting young talent and pushing them toward continuous development. This is a gesture of love, peace, and cultural prosperity.”