The ninth session of the Nouakchott Arab Poetry Festival began today, Monday, with the participation of dozens of poets, critics, and journalists from Mauritania, Mali, Senegal, Gambia, and Ivory Coast. During the opening ceremony held at the Conference Palace, the festival honored three Mauritanian poets: Bahiya Ould Bidhiou, Lemrabit Ould Dia, and Othman Omar Li.
In his opening speech, the Director of the House of Poetry in Nouakchott, Abdullah Al-Sayed, stated, "Today we celebrate the prominent figures who have enriched the universal poetry collection through the Arabic language with their new contributions, emphasizing the effectiveness of poetry in building bridges of friendship and love." He added, "The efforts of the Houses of Poetry will remain effective in instilling artistic and aesthetic spirit within intellectual circles, as they attract writers and poets and refine creative writing talents, in alignment with the spirit of the past and the challenges of the present and future."
The festival program, organized by the House of Poetry in Nouakchott in cooperation with the Culture Department of the Emirate of Sharjah in the UAE, includes a critical seminar on the artistic imagery in ancient and modern Mauritanian poetry. In parallel with the festival, which runs until February 14, an exhibition featuring a collection of books and magazines published by the Culture Department of Sharjah is being held, along with book signing events for poetry collections released this year by a group of young poets.
