Fifth Arab Poetry Forum in Mali brings leading poets to Bamako

Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, the Republic of Mali hosted the fifth edition of the Arab Poetry Forum in the capital, Bamako.

The event was organised by the Cultural Affairs Department of the Sharjah Department of Culture, in cooperation with Al Bayan Cultural Association, and brought together a distinguished group of poets, academics and Arabic language enthusiasts, alongside a notable attendance of university lecturers and admirers of Arabic literature.

The forum forms part of Sharjah’s cultural initiatives to support the Arabic language, strengthen the presence of Arabic poetry across the African continent, and nurture literary talent, thereby reinforcing cultural ties between peoples.

The opening session featured speeches highlighting the forum’s role in revitalising the poetry movement and in reinforcing the status of the Arabic language in Mali. Speakers also praised His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi for his continued support for cultural initiatives dedicated to promoting the Arabic language and its literature across Africa.

Professor Abdulkader Idriss Maïga, the forum’s General Coordinator, said that Sharjah’s patronage had significantly strengthened Mali’s literary and poetic landscape. Dr. Abdou Samad Ahmed Maïga, President of Al Bayan Cultural Association, said the forum had become an annual platform for encouraging poetic creativity and promoting the Arabic language.

Speakers emphasised the need to continue the forum’s support for Mali’s poetry movement and praised Sharjah’s cultural role in advancing the Arabic language. They also highlighted the project’s success in showcasing promising poetic voices from across the African continent.

The programme included a poetry evening featuring readings by several poets, with themes ranging from human emotion and the human experience to the beauty of language, which drew enthusiastic engagement from the audience.

The forum concluded with an awards ceremony honouring participating poets and several supporting figures. The fifth edition also issued a series of recommendations emphasising the need to sustain support for the poetry movement and further strengthen the presence of the Arabic language in Mali, in line with the forum’s cultural mission and objectives.

WAM