The Sultan Bin Ali Al Owais Cultural Foundation and the Abdul Hameed Shoman Foundation have jointly published a new book titled “The Restoration of Poetry: From the First Fathers to the New Millennium”, bringing together research papers presented at an intellectual symposium organised by the two institutions in Jordan.
The symposium brought together prominent Arab critics and academics, including Sobhi Hadidi, Dr. Fatima Qandil, Dr. Jamal Muqabla, Dr. Al Habib Bouharrour, Dr. Saeed Yaqtin, Dr. Charbel Dagher, Dr. Abdulwasea Al Hemyari, Dr. Ali Jaafar Al Allaq, Dr. Mubarak Al Jabri, Dr. Muslih Najjar and Dr. Hayel Al Taleb.
The publication forms part of a series of scholarly symposia organised by the Al Owais Foundation, both within the UAE and abroad, in collaboration with Arab and international cultural institutions. Research presented at these events is subsequently published to serve as a lasting reference for researchers and scholars.
In its introduction, the book describes “The Restoration of Poetry” symposium, which was organised by the Sultan Bin Ali Al Owais Cultural Foundation in collaboration with the Abdul Hameed Shoman Foundation, as one of the few forums to examine the enduring value of poetry through a contemporary lens aligned with the diverse currents of modernist thought.
It says the research papers moved beyond nostalgic reflections on the decline of Arabic poetry and traditional approaches to literary criticism, instead exploring new perspectives on contemporary poetry, emerging poetic trends and the evolving role of the engaged intellectual poet in addressing present-day issues while looking towards the future.
The symposium sought to strengthen cultural dialogue between poets and critics from across the Arab world, examine the latest trends in Arabic poetry, highlight developments in contemporary poetry in the new millennium, and compare Arab poetic voices with their international counterparts.
