Dh5m poetry contest starts today

Abu Dhabi - The third and fourth runners up get Dh2 million and Dh1 million, respectively.

One woman and 47 men will fight it out Bedouin-style for Dh5 million using the most potent weapon of all time: Words. The 48 Arab poets are the finalists who have made it to this year's Million Poet competition, organised for the seventh time by Abu Dhabi's Cultural Programmes and Heritage Festivals Committee (CPHFC).
The competition, which begins today, seeks to preserve Nabati poetry - Bedouin dialect. The Million Poet got world attention not just for the beautiful, rhyming words, but also for what is at stake: Dh15 million in prizes! Apart from the glory, the winner of the competition receives Dh5 million, first runner up walks away with Dh4 million and the second runner up receives Dh3 million. The third and fourth runners up get Dh2 million and Dh1 million, respectively. "It is the largest sum ever awarded to a literary or poetry competition anywhere in the world," pointed out Sultan Al Amimi, member of the Million's Poet jury and director of Abu Dhabi's Poetry Academy.
"Poets of different nationalities have made it to the list of 48, with 14 countries represented. Among them is an Emirati woman.
silvia@khaleejtimes.com

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• Abu Dhabi