He noted that the inaugural ceremony was previously hosted in Beirut, and this time, the Iraqi government, particularly the Prime Minister's office, has expressed readiness to host the event.
For the second edition of the prize, judges have been chosen from Syria, Lebanon, Algeria, Palestine, Iraq, Yemen, Indonesia, India, and Iran. Initial reviews of the submissions were conducted by two judges, who identified works that met the required criteria to advance to the final judging stage.
Parviz emphasized, “The judges provide their reasoning for selecting works, highlighting significant technical and thematic aspects.” The final decisions will be made collaboratively by the judges, the head of the judging panel, and the scientific secretary of the award. In most categories, five works will be chosen for final evaluation, with the highest volume of submissions in Arabic and Persian languages.
In total, 345 titles were judged this year, encompassing not only Arabic and Persian works but also submissions in English, Urdu, Malay, French, and Spanish. Six judging groups were formed across six categories: Plays, memoirs, short stories, children’s literature, poetry, and novels, with the novel category receiving the highest number of submissions at 106.
Parviz added, “The final judging panel includes professors from Iranian universities and foreign language departments, alongside prominent Arab writers from Syria and Algeria.”
Highlighting the impact of Palestinian heroism on writers and poets, Parviz remarked that he anticipates an increase in the quality of works in the coming years.
He emphasized that regardless of which work is selected, the focus on themes of resistance and Palestine is of paramount importance.
He hopes that well-promoted selected works will be translated into other languages, serving as a testament to the artistry in defending the Palestinian cause.
Regarding the quality of the submissions, Parviz noted that despite a smaller volume of works in the previous round, this year’s entries are of significantly higher quality, particularly in categories like memoirs and novels. He attributed this improvement to the recent events surrounding the Palestinian struggle, stating that “the impact of Palestinian heroism has undoubtedly inspired writers and poets globally, leading to the creation of higher-quality works in the future.”
IRNA