Damascus-Sana
The Raqqa branch of the Arab Writers Union honored the winners of its two competitions, which included story and poetry, on national, humanitarian and social topics for the years 2019 and 2020 within a literary festival hosted by the cultural field.
The first prize in poetry for the year 2019 was won by the poets Ahmed Muhammad and the doctor Maram al-Nisr, and the second went to the two poets Maya Hamira and Nasreen Hassan. The third prize was won by the poet Dr. Muhammad Jassim al-Ahmad, while the first place prize for the current year was won by the poet Asad Khadr equally with the poet Amal Salman.
In the field of short story, the first place was shared by the two storytellers, Dr. Basil Al-Sheikh Yassin and Intissar Baalla. The second prize was shared equally between the two storytellers, Furat Ghanem and Dr. Firas Al-Hussein, and the third prize was divided between the two storytellers Yasmine Ali Hussein, Muhammad Al-Abdullah and Badr Ibrahim Ahmed.
Some of the poetry and story winners delivered their texts that were distinguished by their artistic level, sincere passion, and commitment to national belonging.
The head of the Al-Raqqa branch of the Arab Writers Union, Eid Al-Darwish, pointed out the importance of the competition, which confirms the role of the intellectuals in confronting terrorism and the dark thought it broadcasts, and their role in strengthening the Syrians' insistence on continuing and establishing their cultural presence.
As for the head of the Cultural Center in the field, Jamal Al-Zoubi, he pointed out that the center's hosting of this event organized by the Raqqa Book Branch shows once again that cultural concern is a collective responsibility, especially with regard to our existence and our legacy of war and unjust siege.
Mohammed Khaled Al-Khader