Hibapress
The curtain rose on Friday in Marrakech on the 6th edition of the Moroccan Poetry Festival, in the presence of an audience of poets, intellectuals, critics and various figures from the world of culture and the arts.
Initiated by the Maison de la Poésie in Marrakech, this event, which is part of the cultural cooperation between the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication and the Department of Culture of the Government of Sharjah, aims to highlight poetry and biographical stories, while celebrating generations and different experiences of Moroccan poetry.
The opening ceremony of this edition was marked by a vibrant tribute paid to the poet and translator, Mehdi Akhrif, to the researcher in Amazigh culture, Fatima El Faïz, and to the Hassani poet, Ahmed Mahmoud Mae El Ainine Ould Nissane and this, in continuation of the celebration of Moroccan cultural and linguistic diversity.
This session was also punctuated by the awarding of prizes for the best poetry and poetic criticism competitions, intended for young poets, critics and researchers.
In a statement to MAP on this occasion, the director of arts at the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication (Department of Culture), Hicham Abkari, noted that this 6th edition is part of the celebration of Marrakech as the capital of culture in the Islamic world for the year 2024, highlighting the importance of this type of events which celebrate linguistic and literary diversity, particularly poetry and its different experiences (Hassani, Amazigh, Zajal, …).
He also highlighted the particular interest given by the supervisory ministry to this type of initiative, citing, in this sense, the organization of the Maghreb Poetry Festival in Tetouan, in partnership with the Department of Culture of government of Sharjah.
In a similar statement, Head of the Culture Department of the Sharjah Government, Abdellah Al Owais, welcomed this event which highlights the poetic creativity especially of young people, emphasizing the commitment to continue supporting this genre initiatives to establish poetry, in particular, and culture, in general, as a pillar of the development of societies and to encourage young talents in this field.
For his part, the director of the House of Poetry of Marrakech, Abdelhak Mifrani, indicated that the festival has been able to preserve its identity since its launch by ensuring that it celebrates linguistic and cultural diversity, noting that the program for this edition includes numerous sessions and poetic evenings, dedicated this year to biography, the celebration of new poetic voices and the consecration of poetry in the social system.
Indeed, this 6th edition highlights various generations and poetic sensibilities of Morocco, with particular attention to new poetic creations, through a tribute to the generous tree of Moroccan poetry.
Also on the menu is a forum around the theme “Poetry and biography: memory of the poet and itinerary of the poem”, with the participation of several critics and researchers, as well as a session on “Poetic biography”.
A meeting with master’s and doctoral students is also planned, allowing them to revisit various career paths in the fields of creation, translation and criticism.
Other highlights of the festival include the sections “Pulsation of the Poem”, “Alphabets and Music”, which highlight the profound interaction between poetry and the arts, as well as “Poets on the Road to the Future”, “Visions poetics” and “Alphabets and choreography”.
A musical session for children is also on the program, as well as the presentation of certificates to the winners of the 7th class of “Poetic writing workshops for children, adolescents and young people”.
