Dr Hanan Al Fayadh, media consultant of ‘Sheikh Hamad Award for Translation and International Understanding’ speaks at a press conference at DECC yesterday
The winners of fourth edition of ‘Sheikh Hamad Award for Translation and International Understanding’ (SHATIU) for 2018 worth $2m will be named and honoured in a ceremony scheduled to be held in Doha on December 12, the Steering Committee of the Award announced yesterday.
“SHATIU-2018 received 203 entries from 31 countries an increase of 30 percent compared to 141 entries in 2017,” said Dr Hanan Al Fayadh, the Award’s Media Consultant at a press conference held on the sidelines of the ongoing 29th edition of the Doha International Book Fair at Doha Exhibition and Convention Center (DECC) yesterday.
She said that the participants hailed from Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Yemen, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, Egypt, Sudan, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Japan, Russia, Albania, Kosovo, Bosnia, Montenegro, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, UK, US, Canada, Australia, South Africa and Tanzania.
“The Award aims at honouring translators and acknowledge their role in strengthening the bonds of friendship and cooperation among peoples and nations of the world,” said Al Fayadh adding that the Award also encourages creativity, upholds the highest moral and ethical standards, and spreads the values of diversity, pluralism and openness.
She said that every year new international language apart from English was added. “First year Turkey, second year Spanish, third year French and the fourth year 2018 German were added forthe Award,” said Al Fayadh.
She said that this year, SHATIU has added five new languages including Italian, Russian, Japanese, Bosnian and Swahili in a bid to enhance the interaction with Arab and other cultures of the world.
She added that last year five eastern languages had been added including Chines, Japanese, Persian, Urdu and Malayalam.
“The First Category ‘Translation Prizes’ are subdivided into ‘Translation from Arabic into English; ‘Translation from English into Arabic’; Translation from Arabic into a language other than English’; Translation from a language other than English into Arabic.”
She said that the second Category ‘Achievement Prizes’ will be awarded for the translation works from five selected languages into Arabic and from Arabic into these languages. The selected languages for this category are Italian, Russian, Japanese, Bosnian and Swahili.
“The Third Category ‘Achievement Prizes’ will be awarded to the achievements made in two main languages English and Arabic,” she added.
She said that the prize value of each category is $200,000 of total prizes of the Award worth $2m so the winner of first prize will receive $100,000 and second and third prize winners will get $60,000 and $40,000 respectively.
“Sheikh Hamad Award for Translation and International Understanding was founded in Doha, Qatar (2015). It is an international prize run by a board of trustees, a steering committee and independent panels of judges.”
Al Fayadh said that the Award aims at encouraging the culture of knowledge and dialogue, promoting Arab and Islamic culture, developing international understanding, and encouraging mature cross-cultural interaction between Arabic and other world languages through the medium of translation.
“An associated conference on translation and acculturation will be held on the sidelines of ceremony to name the winners of Sheikh Hamad Award, said Dr Hanan Al Fayadh. She said that the conference will be organized by the Forum for Arab and International Relations on December 11 and 12.
