Distinguished Arab Critics, Intellectuals, and Poets Participate in Ahmed Shawqi’s Celebration at the BA
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Alexandria—
The BA organized a three-day celebration on 10 December 2007, on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the passing away of Prince of Poets Ahmed Shawqi. Participants include intellectuals, poets, and critics from Egypt and the Arab world, on top of which is Abdul-Aziz Al-Babtain, Kuwaiti Poet and Founder of Al-Babtain Award for Poetry Excellence, Dr. Gaber Asfour, Chairman of the National Center for Translation and Advisor to the BA Director, and Dr. Salah Fadl, renowned Literary Critic.
The Celebration started with a documentary produced by the BA on Prince of Poets Ahmed Shawqi. Participants in the opening session were Abdul-Aziz Al-Babtain, Dr. Mohamed Zakaria Anani, Professor of Arabic Literature, Faculty of Arts, Alexandria University, Poet Sharifa El-Seid, Dr. Gaber Asfour, and Dr. Salah Fadl.
Participants affirmed that Ahmed Shawqi’s poetry is still alive in our souls after 75 years on his passing away, and that he truly deserves to be the poet of the Arab nation. They also mentioned that celebrating Ahmed Shawqi is also a celebration of his counterpart the Poet of the Nile Hafez Ibrahim, as they shared the same national and religious sense and their love and devotion to Egypt and the Arab nation.
Participants emphasized that Shawqi led the contemporaneity movement in Arabic poetry, he reached the peak in the concept of revival and took the lead in creativity and simulation. Shawqi also succeeded in forming the Arab national awareness, as he participated in redrafting the Arab and Egyptian renaissance discourse. Poetry was dead in the ages that preceded Shawqi and Hafez, and they managed to revive it; poems were on everybody’s lips —the public and the elite.
The session was concluded by a poetic evening moderated by Dr. Mohamed Abu Shawareb, Professor, Faculty of Arts, Alexandria University. Renowned Iraqi poet Abbas Al-Ganabi and Palestinian Poet Sameeh Al-Qassem recited poems, which they composed praising Ahmed Shawqi. Actress Madiha Hamdy also recited some of Ahmed Shawqi’ poems. At the end of the session, Ahmed Fathy sang three poems by Shawqi in classical and colloquial Arabic.