The 8th Moroccan Poetry Festival opened in Marrakech on Friday under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, and His Majesty King Mohammed VI of Morocco.
Organised by the Sharjah Department of Culture in collaboration with Morocco’s Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication, the three-day event brings together more than 50 poets, intellectuals and artists from Morocco and beyond.
The opening ceremony, held at the “Meydene” venue, was attended by Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Owais, Chairman of the Sharjah Department of Culture; Mohammed Ibrahim Al Qaseer, Director of Cultural Affairs at the department; Mohammed Benyaacoub, Secretary-General of the Moroccan Ministry of Youth, Culture, and Communication, representing Minister Dr Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid; Rachid El Mostapha, Head of the Ministry’s Cooperation Division; and Asmaa Lokmani, Regional Director for the Culture Sector in the Marrakech-Safi region, alongside a number of authors and intellectuals.
In his opening address, Al Owais highlighted the festival’s role in promoting poetry and nurturing emerging talent, praising the House of Poetry in Marrakech for providing a platform for young and established poets and fostering exchanges between generations.
“The House of Poetry in Marrakesh has served as a radiant beacon, providing genuine opportunities for young poets to showcase their work alongside pioneering poets who have helped shape the Moroccan poetic memory. Thanks to this diversity, Marrakesh has become a hub for the beauty of poetic expression, a place where different experiences converge and bridge the gap between generations. The House has become a welcoming destination for poets, a true home for them, while Marrakesh itself has evolved into an expansive space that opens its doors wide to creative minds,” Al Owais said.
He also thanked the Moroccan Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication for its continued support, saying the partnership reflected the strong cultural ties between the UAE and Morocco.
In a speech delivered on his behalf by Mohammed Benyaacoub, Dr Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid praised the House of Poetry’s achievements over the past nine years, extending from Marrakesh, known as the “Red City”, to various regions across Morocco. He said these achievements reflected the success of the Ruler of Sharjah’s historic cultural initiatives in strengthening poetry’s role as a bridge for dialogue and cultural exchange.
He also commended the longstanding cooperation between the Moroccan ministry and the Sharjah Department of Culture, highlighting the festival’s celebration of classical Arabic, Hassani and Amazigh poetry through readings, discussions and awards.
The House of Poetry in Marrakesh honoured poets Driss El Milyani, Khadija Yakan and Mohamed El Ghaith Kine in recognition of their longstanding literary contributions to the Moroccan poetry scene. The festival also announced the winners of the eighth edition of its “Best Poem” and “Poetic Criticism” awards, which aim to support emerging talent and encourage literary creativity and criticism.
In the Best Poem category, Mohamed Kabdani won first place, followed by Abdelsamad Ait Mbarek in second and Khawla Dahani in third. In the Poetic Criticism category, Abdeljalil El-Abbassi won first place, while Oussama Hamdouch and Noureddine Harhouri shared second place. Youssef Kouazghar received third place in the critical essays category.
The opening ceremony featured two documentary films. The first traced the establishment and development of the House of Poetry in Marrakech, featuring testimonials from cultural figures on its role in supporting poets and enriching the Moroccan and Arab literary scenes. The second showcased the House’s key achievements, initiatives and cultural activities over the past year, highlighting its continued efforts to promote poetry and creative expression.
