The symposium hosted by the Sultan Bin Ali Al Owais Cultural Foundation on late poet Abdullah Al Bardouni, titled “Al Bardouni, the Foresighted Poet”, has concluded on Thursday, September 7, 2018. The event, which drew media attention both in the UAE and beyond, saw the participation of a constellation of Arab critics, writers and intellectuals and was attended by a large audience of cultural figures and culture enthusiasts.
During the first session of the symposium, which was moderated by author Fathiya Al Nimr, Dr. Abdul Hakim Al Zubaidi read a paper on “The Aesthetics of Intertextuality in Al Bardouni’s Poetry” taking “Abu Tamam and the Arabism of Today” poem as an example. Moreover, Dr. Ahmed Al Mansouri presented a paper on “Abdullah Al Bardouni and the Dialectic of Homeland and Alienation”. The audience showed great interest in the two papers and lauded the effort made by the two researchers.
In the second session, which was moderated by poet Sajida Al Mousawi, Dr. Mu’jab Al Udwani presented a paper titled “The Magic Hour: Uncertain Endings in Al Bardouni’s Poetry”. The session also included a testimonial by veteran Yemeni poet Dr. Abdul Aziz Al Maqaleh titled “Poet Abdullah Al Bardouni as I Have Known Him in Person”. Although Dr. Al Maqaleh could not attend due to health reasons, the testimonial was read on his behalf by Dr. Hamdan Dammaj. The session was enriched by a lively discussion of the various points raised. Following the session, Dr. Habib Ghuloom Al Attar, gave a dramatic reading of selected excerpts from Al Bardouni’s poetry, which was applauded by the audience. Commemorative photos were taken at the conclusion of the session.
The symposium on Al Bardouni is part of a series of symposiums hosted by the Sultan Bin Ali Al Owais Cultural Foundation to celebrate leading Arab cultural figures. During the previous years, the Foundation had organized similar symposiums on Nizar Qabbani, Mohammed Al Maghout, Taha Hussein, Fuad Zakariyah and Khaldoun Al Naqeeb among many others, who have enriched contemporary Arab culture.
It is worth mentioning that the late Yemeni poet Abdullah Al Bardouni had won the Sultan Bin Ali Al Owais Cultural Award (Poetry Category) in the third session (1992/1993). The statement of the jury panel of the Award said that Al Bardouni was selected for the Poetry Award because he is an icon of Modern Arabic poetry who delivered his poems in a modern spirit and creative form, and harmonized original rhythms with linguistic innovations, hence bringing together the best of both classical and modern poetry.
