Palestinian Consul General and Prince of Poets among the Participants

Dubai, August 11, 2008 - A number of prominent literary figures and public officials, including the Palestinian Consul General in Dubai and the Prince of Poets will participate in a meeting Dubai Press Club is holding on Tuesday at 5 p.m. to condole the demise of the great Palestinian poet and symbol of resistance Mahmoud Darwish who passed away two days ago.

Salim Abu Sultan, Consul General of Palestine in Dubai, Karim Ma'touq, UAE poet and the winner of the Prince of Poetry contest and a host of other literary figures, including the current participants in the Prince of Poetry contest, are expected to take part in the condolence meeting.

Besides offering condolences to the family of the deceased poet and the people of Palestine, the meeting will also include the screening of a film that Al Arabiya TV produced on the life and work of the poet. A friend of the poet will also recite some of the best known poems by Darwish, who is admired across the globe for his passionate poetry which popularized the Palestinian cause all over the world. His poems have appeared in translation in more than 20 languages of the world.

Maryam Bin Fahad, Executive Director, Dubai Press Club, said Mahmoud Darwish had represented a unique literary phenomenon that combined massive popularity and artistic finesse in a way that rarely happened in history. "Apart from the stardom that he enjoyed among the Arab masses, he also astonished literary critics by the way his poetry encompassed the entire depth of history, philosophy and religions. His poetry addressed the aspirations and concerns of his people in a profound and effective manner," she pointed out, expressing, on behalf of the members and staff of Dubai Press Club, her deep sense of sadness and grief at the death of the great poet.

Mahmoud Darwish died at the age of 67 after a heart surgery at a hospital in Houston in the US. Born in 1942 in the Palestinian village of Burva, Darwish was among those rare breed of writers whose prose and poetry vied with each other in their artistic finesse and aesthetic quality. During his long poetic career that accompanied in every detail the struggle of the Palestinian people for freedom, he won many awards and accolades, both regional and international, including the Lenin Prize, the Avicenna Award and the European Prize for poetry.

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© Press Release 2008