Katara Festival for Arabic Novel Organizes Range of Cultural Symposiums

Doha: Curators of the 10th Katara Festival for Arabic Novel on Saturday kept holding events and symposiums, including an event under the title of theater and novel: from text to performance, moderated by the novelist Jamal Fayez. During their engagement in the discussions, the theater critic Dr. Hassan Rashid, and theater director Taleb Al-Dos affirmed that theatre and novel are the most prominent arts that have had impactful results in the society and helped formulate an epochal cultural awareness through time. Another symposium titled the role of social responsibility in community development was held, where both media personalities Moza Al Ishaq and Najat Ali Muhammad spoke about their experiences in voluntary work for the service of the nation, moderated by Mohamed Al Shahwani, head of the cultural literature department at Katara. Additionally, Katara organized another event under the theme of reading of the book - the Dallah: An icon of Qatari hospitality, by the author Abdulaziz Al-Buhashim Al Sayed, who opened the session by shining a spotlight on the significance of coffee pots and their types as symbols of Arab hospitality and generosity, which are deeply rooted values among the people of the region. The author addressed the tools utilized in coffee-making and the importance of documenting the rich Qatari heritage in all its details, including coffee, its utensils, and the gatherings associated with it, to ensure this intangible heritage is preserved as a reference for future generations. There was an interactive storytelling event titled the album of memories, presented by student Hamad Khalifa Al Kuwari, where he narrated a story through a brief journey across crucial epochal times through which forebears has passed in the past. Last Friday, a lecture titled the efforts of Mauritanian scholars in acquiring manuscripts was held, delivered by president of the Arab manuscript house in Mauritania Abdullah Muhammad Bilal. The lecture was moderated by poet and researcher Mohamed Al Manaei. Furthermore, a lecture titled fantasy in Arabic literature was presented by Egyptian novelist Ibrahim Farghali, with an introduction by Dr. Moulay Youssef Al-Idrisi, discussing the origins of fantasy in Greece and its transition to the Arab world. Source: Qatar News Agency