Sharjah International Narrator Forum closes with great success

Sharjah - Winners of the Forum were bestowed with praise and awards

The three-day event of the 16th edition of the Sharjah International Narrators Forum (SINF), organised by Sharjah Institute for Heritage (SIH), has concluded with the prestigious award ceremony.
The annual event that closed on September 28, 2016 attracted 22 Arab and foreign countries, which convened to keep the "narrator's chronicles alive within the society and to highlight the importance of narrators as living human treasures," according to Abdul Aziz Al-Musallam, the Chairman of the Sharjah Heritage Institute.
The event was run under the slogan: "Juha: A Common Human Heritage." In his closing remarks, Al Musallam said the slogan was chosen because of the substantial impact the character has on both the adults and children alike.
Dozens of scholars from over ten countries made presentations and held intellectual and round table-discussions, all on the personality of Juha, an enigmatic character featured in several countries across the world.
The 16th edition of the Forum was commemorated with activities within SIH and in different neighbourhoods in Sharjah. Among the events was a convoy of classic cars that adorned the Juha figure, which attracted the public eye whenever it passed. Other exhibitions took place at Al Qasba and in schools.
During the closing ceremony, the Acting Director of the Sharjah Institute of Heritage, Asmaa Al Suwaidi, handed over plaques to the winners of the Sharjah International Award for Cultural Heritage. An Egyptian narrator, Saber-Masri, emerged the best in the Arabic category while a French narrator, Julia Morandi, was the best in the International category.
Earlier in the Forum, a number of people who have contributed to research and narration in the UAE and around the globe were recognised; some of them have since passed on. The Guest of Honour for the event was, Dr Sa'ad Abdullah Al Swayan a Saudi scholar from King Saud University in Riyadh.
Sharjah International Narrator Forum was originally founded in 2001 as 'Narrator's Day' and is aimed at celebrating and rewarding local bearers of the intangible human heritage.
 reporters@khaleejtimes.com

• Sharjah