Doha: The 11th Katara Festival for Arabic Novel will be held from October 13 to 19, featuring a wide range of cultural activities. The Cultural Village Foundation (Katara) announced that the festival's prize committee has chosen Saudi Arabia as the guest of honor of this upcoming edition.
According to Qatar News Agency, the late Saudi diplomat, novelist, and poet Ghazi Al Gosaibi has been named as the personality of the year. This continues a tradition established since the festival's first edition, which includes an exhibition showcasing the honoree's life, career, and literary output.
Khalid Abdulrahim Al Sayed, general supervisor of the Katara Prize for Arabic Novel, explained that the award ceremony will take place on the evening of October 13 at the Katara Opera House. The ceremony will honor winners across six categories: published novels, unpublished novels, young adult novels, unpublished historical novels, critical studies, and Qatari novels.
Al Sayed pointed out that the events will also feature the opening of the third edition of the Katara Book Fair. This event will see the participation of 100 Qatari and Arab publishing houses presenting their latest releases in various fields, with a special focus on literature, including novels and literary criticism.
He added that the festival will feature book-signings for the winning works of the 10th edition, some translated into English and French. Additionally, there will be panel discussions and workshops with renowned writers and critics. The festival will also host signing events for notable new releases from Katara Publishing House and other participating publishers.