The Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage's Poetry Academy has released a book titled "Diwan of Emirati Poets in the Poet of the Million Program: From the First to the Fifth Season." This book documents the journey of Emirati poets competing for the title of "Poet of the Million" in the early seasons of the program, which is specialized in Nabati poetry competitions.
The 370-page book presents the names of the 33 participating Emirati poets over the first five seasons of the program, including 14 in the first season, six in the second, five in the third, four in the fourth, and an equal number in the fifth. It also includes the poems they participated with and all the verses they wrote during the competition phases, along with a brief biography of each poet.
During their participation in the early seasons of "Poet of the Million," Emirati poets achieved advanced standings amid a competitive poetic atmosphere featuring elite poets from the Gulf region. This revealed strong and distinguished names that reflected the development of the poetic movement in the UAE, showcasing its ability to continue what many prominent poets had initiated in establishing this movement and the poetic scene.
The book's introduction states: "Emirati poets who qualified for the Poet of the Million competition in its first five seasons were able to assert the presence of Emirati poetry and its competitive capacity. This resulted in poet Rashid Al-Rumaithi winning the program's title in its fifth season, while Mohammed Khalifa bin Hamad Al-Kaabi secured the second place in the second season, and Ahmed bin Hayai Al-Mansoori took second place in the fifth season.”
The Poetry Academy presents this publication to document the experiences of Emirati poets throughout the first five seasons, highlighting their heritage and the diversity of their poetic subjects. The Diwan reflects the distinguished poetic experience of Emirati creators who competed for the title in various seasons of the program and managed to secure top places. This experience needed to be documented in a comprehensive book that outlines its key milestones, which the Poetry Academy has successfully accomplished in this well-crafted and remarkable work.
It is noteworthy that the "Poet of the Million" program has provided significant services to poets in the Gulf region, particularly to the poets of the UAE, since its inception.
