AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): "World Grand Prize of Poetry of the Year" competitionis organized by the Islamic Center of South Africa by awarding a prize of 10,000 Euros to the best Persian poetry for Imam Hussain(AS).
Announcing this call in a press conference held in South Africa, secretary of the Competition, "Seyed Abdullah Husseini", invited English and Persian poets from all over the world to participate in this grand Competition.
"Ashura event and Imam Hussain's epic in Karbala, is the most beautiful and heroic part of human history; the day in which Allah the almighty witnessed the Great Sacrifice (DhebhAzim) and Imam Hussain'sculmination of love and devotionand admired Himself.
Throughout history, although Shiite poets have created valuable works about Imam Hussain, but unfortunately there is no work worthy of that unique epic event.
Muhtasham's everlasting poem, Omman Samani's Mystical Masnavi and Musavi Garmarudi's "Blood Line" are all excellent works in each of which the Event of Karbala has been depicted from a particular aspect but describing that great event is not feasible", he added.
"Imam Sajjad(AS) awarded and paid Farazdagh (Imam's contemporary poet) the cost of his living of forty years for his poetry about Imam and reading it in front of Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik (the oppressor caliph in Imam Sajjad era), then Imam apologized Farazdagh and said that he could not afford paying more. So we also follow the path of Imam Sajjad (AS) and consider a prize for the best poem about Imam Hussain and event of Karbala which will be provided by non-governmental sources", Seyed Abdullah Husseini said.
"The poem should have all the features of an outstanding poem. In addition to the literary criteria of an exceptional poem, the poem to win this year's prize of ten thousand Euros, also should be original and unique in terms of the matic.
In a Hussaini poem, the historical confrontation between right and wrong and the introduction of Hussain and Yazid of our time must be taken into account. An excellent poem should be able to be used in Hey'ats (religious ceremonies for mourning Imam Hussain AS) and ritual sounds, and should have an extraordinary power in excitement, and a high motivating power, and should be able to be mentioned by experts.
This prize is the greatest literary award that has been awarded to a Persian and English poem throughout history and will be considered as a turning point in the history of Iranian literature, and undoubtedly, it will be divided to the era of after and before this great event.
For such a work in Persian and English, a major international competition entitled "World Grand Prizeof Poetry of the year" will be held and each of the best works in Persian and English will be awarded ten thousand euros in cash and other valuable prizes",Husseini stated.
Husseini also introduced cultural attaché of I.R of Iran Dr. "Mohsenzadeh"as the secretary of the Committee for Public Participation and Dr. "Kord" as Secretary of the Coordination and Support Committee of the festival.
After Husseini, Dr. "Mohsenzadeh" emphasized that the festival is non-governmental and continued, "The festival will welcome public donation and juridical and natural persons can consider special rewards or winner or winners of the festival. This issue will be announced during the festival."
He also announced the appointment of two of the festival's winners as the Ahl al-Bayt literary ambassador by the Islamic Culture and Relations Organization.
The poem of the year will be engraved on a large stone stelein the handwriting of one of the leading contemporary calligraphers. With the help of the municipality, the Islamic Council and the Cultural and Artistic Organization of Tehran Municipality, this stele will be installed every year in one of the squares or parks in Tehran so that future generations can get acquainted with the evolution of Persian literature. In addition, the statue of the poet of the year and the calligrapher of the poem will be made and will be installed next to this stele.
The deadline for submitting:
Persian works: 15th Muharram (1442 H) and
English works: October 20th, 2020.
Through these links you can acquire more information:
Sending Persian work via Telegram:
@jayezai20
Sending English work via Telegram:
@grandpoetryaward
Join link for Persian Telegram super group for public judgment:
https://t.me/joinchat/Bk4guRmTthDuqXl-hiGJQA
Join link for English Telegram super group for international public judgment:
https://t.me/joinchat/Bk4guUSbGqRpNTXLalx6ZA
Festival's Instagram page:
www.instagram.com/Jayezaibuzurgesheresal
Receive ongoing information about the festival via WhatsApp group:
https://chat.whatsapp.com/Kj72hiZNPblFYlUwWvDVN4
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