Poetry Towards Peaceful Co-existence
20th October 2011
On 19th October, poets, editors, translators and journalists descended on London's Mosaic Rooms for an evening discussion of poetry and its role in promoting peaceful co-existence between civilisations. The event was hosted by The Al Babtain The Foundation of Abdulaziz Saud Al-Babtain's Prize for Poetic Creativity hosted
The London Forum was programmed to complement the subjects debated at the intellectual symposium "Poetry towards a Peaceful Co-Existence which took place in Dubai 17th - 18th October. The two events were linked by author and broadcaster Paul Blezard, who flew from Dubai to London, to participate in both Forums.
In his opening speech in Dubai, Abdul Aziz Saud Al-Babtain, Chairman of The Foundation, highlighted the role of poetry in promoting dialogue between civilisations and said that the decision to hold the event in Dubai reflected the Emirate's leading role in bringing about peaceful coexistence and understanding between people from different cultural backgrounds.
Speakers who took part in the London event were:
• Rosie Goldsmith, journalist and broadcaster, chair
• Sarah Ardizzone, award winning translator
• Sharmila Beezmohun, deputy editor Wasafiri magazine
• Paul Blezard, Literary director, The Firebird Poetry Prizes
• Christina Patterson , writer and columnist, The Independent
• Rhona Wells, assistant editor, The Middle East magazine
The London panellists discussed issues of translation and interpretation, poetry and performance, as well as debating the role poetry can play in today's world, and its impact on different cultures globally.
Arabic poetry has a long and illustrious tradition dating back to the 6th century and is the earliest known form of Arabic literature. There was a revival of Arabic poetry in the late 19th and early 20th century. In light of this, Abdul Aziz Saud Al-Babtain established The Abdulaziz Saud Al-Babtain Prize for Imam AlBukhari Grandchildren, an annual prize of U.S. $100,000 to restore the genuine cultural bridges between the Arab Nation and the recently independent Asian Islamic states.
Rosie Goldsmith, who chaired the London event, said: "Poetry Towards Peaceful Co-Existence was an incredibly ambitious topic to debate, and a hugely ambitious aim for all of us who both love poetry and long for peace. Poetry can and should play a part in developing a broader understanding between different cultures, but this is a subject for a much longer debate."
