Prince of Poets

Last updated

Prince of Poets is a reality television poetry competition on the Emirati television network Abu Dhabi TV. It was created in April 2007 by the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage, and airs live from the Al Raha Beach theatre every week. The winner is awarded one million dirhams and a symbolic cloak and ring. [1] [2] Reflecting the pre-eminence of poetry in the Arab world, the programme's ratings overtook those of football and of other reality television programmes, with a studio audience of thousands and a television audience of millions. [3] Its title comes from the epithet of Arabic-language epic poet Ahmed Shawqi. [4]

Contents

Thousands of aspiring poets from all over the Arab world submit their poems, and several dozen are chosen to compete. In the competition, contestants read their poems, and are also asked to improvise poems on various subjects. A jury of established poets and critics judges and offers feedback on the entries, while the studio audience and viewers at home can also vote for their preferred poets. [3] [5] Despite the show's title, the contestants can be male or female. [6] Prince of Poets Xtra, the programme's interview segment, airs after each episode. [5]

Prince of Poets is similar to another Emirati poetry competition, Million's Poet ; the latter promotes Nabati (Bedouin) poetry, while the former promotes classical Arabic poetry and is an attempt to revive it in modern society. [5] [7] Like Million's Poet, it has been compared to American Idol . [6]

Notable contestants

Egyptian poet Hisham al Gakh was an audience favorite in the competition's fourth season after presenting a controversial poem, "The Visa," which criticized Arab leaders. [1] [8] He later missed an episode in order to participate in political protests in his home country, then wrote a poem about the revolution called "Tahrir Square." [9] Favored to win the competition after reaching the finals through an audience vote, he came in second after Yemeni poet Abdul Aziz al Zera'i. His final poem, "The Last Message," also dealt with the democratic revolution. [2]

Palestinian poet Tamim al-Barghouti competed in the first season. Although he finished the competition in fifth place, he became very popular among Palestinians, with media outlets of rival political parties Fatah and Hamas both urging followers to vote for him by text message. He was also popular in the broader Arab world, with excerpts from his poem reportedly being made into ringtones. [6] [3]

Other winners have been Syrian Hassan Baiti (third season), [4] Mauritanian Sidi Mohamed Ould Bamba (second season), [10] and Emirati Abdul Kareem Maatouk (first season). [11]

Other individuals

The programme's presenters have included Dhafer L'Abidine, in the first series, [12] and Eyad Nassar, in the second series. [5] Xtra is presented by Raja el Shehi. [5]

Musicians and established poets who have performed on the programme include Iman Bakri, Amal Maher, Majid Al Muhandis, Naseer Shamma, and Walid Toufic. [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arabic poetry</span> Form of poetry

Arabic poetry is the earliest form of Arabic literature. Present knowledge of poetry in Arabic dates from the 6th century, but oral poetry is believed to predate that.

Million's Poet is a reality television show in the United Arab Emirates, which was first broadcast in December 2006. The show is a Nabati vernacular poetry competition in which the participants compose and recite poems.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Culture of the United Arab Emirates</span> Pattern of human activity and symbolism associated with the United Arab Emirates and its people

The Culture of the United Arab Emirates is part of the culture of Eastern Arabia. Its historical population was a small tribal community that changed with the arrival of an influx of foreign nationals in the mid-20th century. Emirati culture is a blend of Arabian, Islamic, and Persian cultures, with influences from the cultures of East Africa and Indian Subcontinent. Islam has had a prominent influence on local architecture, music, attire, cuisine, and lifestyle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Omar Saif Ghobash</span> Emirati diplomat and author

Omar Saif Ghobash is an Emirati diplomat and author. He was appointed Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to France on November 24, 2017, having previously served as UAE Ambassador to Russia from 2009-2017. Ghobash authored the book, Letters to a Young Muslim, which was written as a series of letters to his eldest son about what it means to be Muslim in the 21st century.

Nabaṭī, historically also known as najdi, is a vernacular Arabic poetry that stems from the Arabic varieties of the Arabian Peninsula. It exists in contrast to the poetry written according to the classical rules of literary Arabic.

Ousha bint Khalifa Al Suwaidi also known as Fatat Al-Arab, Ousha Al Sha'er was a poetess from the United Arab Emirates.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holy See–United Arab Emirates relations</span> Bilateral relations

Holy See – United Arab Emirates relations are the foreign relations between the Holy See and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The earliest form of contact between officials of both states was when the founder of the UAE, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, unofficially met Pope John Paul II in the 1980s. Relations between the two were not established until 31 May 2007. According to a Vatican communiqué, the diplomatic arrangement was founded on a desire to promote “bonds of mutual friendship and of strengthening international cooperation.

Salwa Zeidan Gallery is a contemporary art gallery located within the Hilton Capital Grand airport road Abu Dhabi, founded by Lebanese artist Salwa Zeidan in 1994. The gallery is specialized in contemporary art and has exhibited such artists as Hassan Sharif, Mohammed Kazem, and Nedim Kufi.

The Call to Poetry was a one-night performance art / international poetry gathering event held April 5, 2012 in Istanbul, near Taksim Square, widely promoted and heavily attended by international poets to celebrate the history of poetry with a dramatic reading of the world’s oldest love poem, which is housed in the Istanbul Archaeology Museums.

<i>Sea Shadow</i> (film) 2011 Emirati film

Sea Shadow is a 2011 Emirati coming-of-age film written by Mohammed Hassan Ahmed and directed by Nawaf Al-Janahi. The film was the first from Image Nation to be filmed in the United Arab Emirates. The film premiered at the Abu Dhabi Film Festival in October 2011 and was released in theaters throughout the Arab states of the Persian Gulf in November 2011. It premiered in the United States at the Palm Springs International Film Festival in January 2012.

Nasser bin Zayed Al Nahyan was an Emirati royal and a member of the Al Nahyan family. He was killed in a helicopter crash at age 41.

Hissa Hilal is a Saudi Arabian poet. Previously published under the pseudonym Remia, she gained fame outside the Arab world in 2010 when she recited a poem against fatwas on Million's Poet, an Emirati reality television poetry competition, and became the first woman to reach the program's finals.

Al Wahda is an Arabic daily newspaper published in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Founded in 1973 the daily is one of the oldest publications in the country.

Ashraf Dali is an Egyptian poet, novelist and journalist. He was born in Banha, Egypt on March 13, 1963. He is the Acting President of the AJA. Ashraf Dali won the Manhae Prize in Literature 2014. Since 1989, when his first book of poetry was published, Ashraf Aboul-Yazid has been keen to introduce himself as a man of words. He won the Arab Journalism Award in Culture, in 2015, given by Dubai Press Club, UAE, for his work published in Al-Arabi magazine, The Art of Miniature in Literature, History and Myth.

Eida Al Menhali is an Emirati singer. He is also referred to as Aida al-Menhali. Known for his hit single "Motasoa," he headlined at the Mother of the Nation Festival in 2018 at the Abu Dhabi Corniche, Abu Dhabi.

Afra Atiq is an Emirati spoken word poet who was born in the United Arab Emirates to an Emirati father and a Japanese-American mother. Atiq holds a PhD in Media and Creative Industries from the United Arab Emirates University and is the co-founder of the Untitled Chapters, a collective of female Emirati writers. Now, she works as a full-time poet. In 2015, She was named the "Best Performer" by Rooftop Rhythms and won the Abu Dhabi Music and Art Foundation Creativity award for her poem "An Open Letter to Cancer" in 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Habib Al Sayegh</span> Emirati writer and poet (1955–2019)

Habib Yousef Abdullah Al Sayegh was an Emirati poet and writer. He was born in Abu Dhabi and obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy in 1977, as well as a Master’s degree in Comparative Linguistics and Translation in 1998 from the University of London. He worked in the fields of media and culture, as he was the Editor-in-Chief of Al Khaleej Newspaper. He was the Chair of the Board of Directors of the Emirates Writers Union, and the first Khaliji to become Secretary-General of the Arab Writers Union.

Shamma Al Bastaki, Arabic: شما البستكي is an Emirati artist and poet. She is also an ambassador for Louvre Abu Dhabi, as well as the recipient of awards for her writing and art. She co-founded several literary networks, including the collective, Untold Stories and formed the Cultural Office Women's Creative Network.

Abu al-Hasan Ali bin Abd al-Rahman bin Abi al-Bashaer al-Siqilli, also known as Ibn Abi al-Bishr al-Siqilli, was an Arab Sicilian poet of the eleventh century CE / fifth AH, who lived most of his life in Fatimid Egypt.

References

  1. 1 2 al Huneidi, Samar (26 January 2011). "Prince of Poets competitor causes stir". The National.
  2. 1 2 Dajani, Haneen (25 February 2011). "'Prince of Poets' title goes to Yemeni scholar". The National.
  3. 1 2 3 Pearson, Bryan (14 September 2007). "Abu Dhabi TV crowns 'Prince of Poets'". Variety.
  4. 1 2 Hassan, Hassan (15 August 2009). "Hassan Baiti takes 'Prince of Poets' title". The National.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Kennedy, Philippa (9 August 2008). "The prince and princess of hosts". The National.
  6. 1 2 3 Lundberg, John (14 June 2009). "A High-Cultured "American Idol" Thrills The Arab World". HuffPost.
  7. ↑ Dayekh, Ribal; Hilal, Hissa (4 February 2010). "Hissa Hilal: Allowing terrorism to win will destroy our societies". Al-Shorfa.
  8. ↑ "And the 'Prince of Poets' is..." Egyptian Gazette. 24 February 2011.
  9. ↑ Dajani, Haneen (11 February 2011). "Prince of Poets contestant back after Egypt protest". The National.
  10. ↑ "Verse matters". The National. 11 June 2009.
  11. ↑ Maatouk, Abdul Kareem (6 June 2009). "Arabic poetry now embraces the humanist sentiment". The National.
  12. ↑ Durgahee, Ayesha (21 September 2011). "Tunisian star says artists finally free after uprising". CNN.

Commons-logo.svg Media related to Prince of Poets at Wikimedia Commons

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.