Dubai-UAE: 25 January, 2009 – The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation today announced that more than 100 poets from 45 countries are expected to participate in the first edition of the Dubai International Poetry Festival 2009 which will be held from 4-10 March at Madinat Jumeirah and House of Poetry in Shindagha, Dubai.

The Festival’s Organising Committee has confirmed that Nigerian playwright and poet Wole Soyinka, Winner of 1986 Nobel Prize for Literature, will address the opening session of the festival themed ‘A Thousand Poets – One Language’ and that preparations for the festival are at an advanced stage.

The Festival is the first of its kind in the region, both in terms of its rich content, which includes various forms of local and classical poetry and modern, in terms of size, scope of worldwide participation and concept. The Festival's theme reflects the universal nature of poetry as a bridge between cultures, fostering global unity through poetic expression regardless of nationality, beliefs, status, or economic circumstances.

Addressing a press conference to mark the launch of the Festival’s website www.dipf.ae, Jamal Khalfan bin Huwaireb, prominent UAE poet and Chairman of the Organising Committee for Dubai International Poetry Festival 2009, said: “This unique festival will feature poetry soirees, seminars, workshops, forums, short dramas and live performances. The main activities of the Festival will be held at Madinat Jumeirah and House of Poetry in Shindagha, Dubai. Other venues include cultural centres, community clubs, schools, universities and shopping malls which will all be accessible on the 2^nd day of the festival.”.”

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai, ordered the launch of the Dubai International Poetry Festival last June 2008 under the theme ‘A Thousand Poets – One Language’ in order to entice world renowned poets to come to Dubai and contribute towards creating a lively platform for humanitarian and intellectual correspondence using poetry as a common language.

Even though poems will be recited in different languages, the public will be able to follow translations into Arabic and English on big screens, so that the spirit of the poems will be communicated to all delegates and the public.

Bin Huwaireb added: “Five successive annual festivals is our objective initially as we aim to attract more poets to Dubai in the coming years. We believe this will result in poetry attaining the status of a communication tool among civilizations, regardless of cultural differences.”

Ali Saif Al Shaali, CEO of the Festival said: “The theme of the Festival reflects a humanitarian message combined with a desire to showcase poetry as the most transparent language for communication. It will act as a forum for poets from around the world to connect with each other, using the language that transcends all timeframes.”

The Dubai International Poetry Festival’s agenda, names of poets and participants as well as the latest information about the event are available online at www.dipf.ae.

Leading literary figures expected to attend the Festival include Dr. Mana bin Saeed Al-Otaiba, Saif Al-Marri, and Saif Al-Saadi from the UAE; Abdul Rahman Al-Ashmawi and Ghazi Algosaibi from Saudi Arabia; Saad Aloosh and Hamed Zaid from Kuwait; Adonis from Syria; Ahmad Hijazi and Abdul Rahman Al-Abnoudi from Egypt. Other scholars such as Breyten Breytenbach form South Africa, James Fenton from the UK, Joachim Sartorius from Germany, and Fernardo Rendón from Colombia, are also expected to participate.

In addition, the Dubai International Poetry Festival will give special focus to exponents of Arabic ‘Nabati’ poetry, one of the main components of the traditional literary forms still prevalent in Gulf Arab states.

A number of shopping malls including Ibn Battuta Mall, The Dubai Mall and Dubai Festival City will host ‘Souq Okaz’, and other short plays. Cultural centres, clubs, schools, universities, cafes, and heritage sites will witness poetry evenings, some accompanied by music.