The 5th edition of the Nouakchott Festival for Arab Poetry kicked off Tuesday at the initiative of the House of Arab Poetry, with the assistance of the Emirate of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates.
“The Nouakchott Festival for Arab Poetry is held at a time when the country is experiencing the start of a global cultural renaissance,” said Mauritanian Minister of Culture, Handicrafts and Relations with Parliament, Sidi Mohamed Ould Ghaber at the opening of the event.
Ould Ghaber added that his department had recently launched a series of reforms in the fields of literature, cinema, theater and fine arts.
“These reforms, he stressed, have made it possible to provide substantial support to the Union of Mauritanian literary persons and writers, to promote artistic works and audiovisual and film productions, and to stimulate the cultural scene through the “organization of activities to stimulate innovation and creativity.”
For his part, the president of the cultural department of the Emirate of Sharjah, Abdullah Mohamed Salem Leeoueissy, felt that this festival represents an interactive cultural space in the country of a million poets (Mauritania). He praised the contribution of the House of Arab Poetry to the entire Arab literary and cultural scenes.
The opening of the festival was marked by the presentation of honorary certificates to three Mauritanian poets, who have distinguished themselves over the past three decades.
MOO/te/fss/abj/APA