Organizers of the Mahmoud Darwish Prize for Creativity have announced the winners of the 2023 edition of the prize, namely: Lebanese artist Marcel Khalife in the ‘Arab innovator’ category, Italian translator and critic Isabella Camera in the ‘International Innovator’ category and Palestinian academic and poet Salma Khadra Jayyusi in the ‘Palestinian Innovator’ category. The announcement of the winners coincides with the birthday of the late poet and author.

Comenting on the news, Fathia Albas, General Manager of the Mahmoud Darwish Foundation and Coordinator of the award said in a gala award ceremony held in Al Jaleel Hall in Ramallah that artist Marcel Khalife has donated the monetary prize in favour of the projects of the Mahmoud Darwish Foundation. It is worth mentioning that  the winners will each receive a cash prize of $25,000, as well as an award certificate signed by Palestine’s President Mahmoud Abbas.

Moreover, artist Marcel Khalife gave a speech via video conferencing, where he said: “My dearest Mahmoud, I remember the autumn of our lives, the loudness of nature and the trees in the Spring. That day you told me let’s face it all with poetry and music. Thank you for everything and thank you friends for granting me the prize of my twin soul.. Mahmoud Darwish”.

Furthermore, Italian translator and critic Isabella Camera addressed the audience in Arabic, saying that she knew of the prestigious Mahmoud Darwish Prize but had never thought she would win it.

“Through my work, I have always tried to shed light on a literature that many westerners choose to overlook. However, denying a people their literature is simply denying them their dignity and identity. Each nation has its own literature and vocabulary and each nation has the right to celebrate its mythology and icons,” she added.

It is worth mentioning that late poet Mahmoud Darwish was granted the Sultan Bin Ali Al Owais Cultural Award in its eighth session in the ‘Cultural and Scientific Achievement’ category, as he helped liberate lexicon from repetitiveness and habit and inspired new life and contemporariness into heritage, hence enriching contemporary Arab poetry with his beautiful poetry that stands against all forms of oppression, injustice and occupation.

Marcel Khalife, Isabella Camera and Salma Jayussi win Mahmoud Darwish Prize for Creativity