Min. of culture raises prize of Cairo Forum for Novels to LE 250K

CAIRO - 21 April 2019: Minister of Culture Inas Abdel Dayem declared at the Cairo International Forum for Novels that the Novel Creativity Prize presented by the Supreme Council of Culture will be raised to LE 250,000.

Abdel Dayem welcomed the members and participants of the Cairo International Forum for Novels, which was launched on April 21 under the title "Novel in the Information Age". "I welcome everyone, especially novelists and critics from all over the Arab world to this Arab cultural event, which always enjoys your creative and enriching participation,” said Abdel Dayem.

Abdel Dayem explained that Cairo was and still is the cradle of the Arab novel which offers a fertile environment for its development and hosts the most important creations that put the Arab novel on the map of international interest. The minister stressed that the Cairo Novel Prize, which has been awarded to the most important Arab novelists during the past six editions, has contributed to enhancing the credibility of this great event.

Additionally, the minister praised the organizing committee of the conference, headed by prominent critic Jaber Asfour and dedicated the forum’s seventh edition to veteran Sudanese novelist El-Tayeb Saleh, who enriched the Arab library with his inspirational novels. “We are convinced that brotherly Sudan that gave birth to Tayeb Saleh is capable of creating a brilliant future along the Nile valley,” commented Abdel Dayem.

The minister added that the novel is a modern human epic that has played and continues to play very influential and vital roles in the formation of human conscience.

Abdel Dayem ended her speech by emphasizing that our Arab cultural reality is in dire need of such forums and conferences.