In collaboration between the General Entertainment Authority (GEA) and the Ministry of Culture, Riyadh hosted this evening (Tuesday) the Golden Pen Awards for the Most Influential Literature at Bakr Al-Sheddi Theater in Boulevard City, in an exceptional evening that combined recognition and artistic performances, attended by elite writers, artists, and intellectuals from across the Arab world
The ceremony which had a total prize pool of $740,000 opened with a musical piece titled “Haremlik”, blending music and visual performance into an artistic display that captivated the audience In his speech during the event Dr Saad Albazie, Chairman of the Golden Pen Award, emphasized that this achievement which we take pride in joins other accomplishments in this prosperous era under the reign of King Salman bin Abdulaziz and His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, may God protect them, an era that has undertaken great initiatives culminating in Saudi Vision 2030, from which this award emerges as one of its outcomes, aiming to enhance quality of life by supporting cultural and artistic movements through bridges connecting novelistic art with cinematic art He explained that the award is distinguished by its diverse categories making it unique not only at the national and Arab levels but also globally, as it covers novel literature, cinema, translation, and publishing, alongside the introduction of the “Audience Award”, which represents a qualitative addition to the world of literary prizes
The chairman of the award also expressed his happiness with the high caliber of the contestants’ works which underwent rigorous evaluation with elite novels advancing to the final stages The event concluded with the honoring of the winners who truly deserved recognition
The award distribution was attended by some of the most prominent writers and novelists The grand screenplay award was the first to be announced with Hossam Eldin Mohamed Al-Arabi from Egypt winning first place for his screenplay “Toronto – Cairo”, earning $100,000 and an adaptation into a cinematic production The second-place prize went to Mohammed Salman Al-Saffar from Saudi Arabia for his screenplay “By the Falling Star”, securing $50,000 and a film adaptation, while the third-place award was claimed by Ahmed Mostafa Sayed Mahmoud Othman from Egypt for his screenplay “Open Line”, winning $30,000
In the translated books category, American writer George R.R. Martin won the award for his novel “A Knight of The Seven Kingdoms”, translated into Arabic by Hesham Mohamed Fahmy Mahmoud under the title “Faris Min Al-Mamalik Al-Sabaa” The jury praised the smoothness of the Arabic text while maintaining the spirit of the original work
The ceremony continued with a special theatrical performance titled “Write Your Story”, presenting a fresh visual interpretation of the world of literature, followed by the distribution of prizes in the literary categories, with each winner receiving $25,000
The Best Thriller Novel Award went to “Daftarnout – Thirst” by Yahya Hassan Safwat from Egypt, while Abdulrahman Mahmoud Ibrahim from Saudi Arabia won the Best Mystery and Crime Novel Award for his book “And I Lived Again” In the romance category, Mai Hossam Eldin Abu Sabr from Egypt claimed victory with her novel “Passion and a Revolution of Doubt” The Best Fantasy Novel Award went to Ameer Shouki Ali from Egypt for “Bab Sahara” In the historical fiction category, Shtaywi Al-Ghaithi from Saudi Arabia won for his novel “Tears of Sand”, while “The Morgue Guardian” by Abdulrahman Mohamed Hanafi from Egypt took home the Best Horror Novel Award The final winner in this category was Mahmoud Abdulshakour Shazly from Egypt, who won Best Realistic Novel for “The Ghosts of Marjana”
Continuing the recognition of literary achievements, Kayan Publishing House from Egypt received the Best Arab Publisher Award, winning $50,000, while “Burial Permit” by Ameer Azab Mohamed won the Audience Award, which amounted to $30,000
The grand novel awards were also presented, with Abdulrahman Safar from Saudi Arabia securing first place for his novel “The Chains of Arafah”, earning $100,000 and a cinematic adaptation Mona Mahmoud Metwally Salama from Egypt won second place for her novel “Pension Ajab Hanem”, receiving $50,000 and a film adaptation, while Youssef Al-Sharif from Egypt took third place for “The Boxed Ones”, with a prize of $30,000
After the award distribution, musician Iyad Al-Rimawi added a final artistic touch to this extraordinary evening, presenting a musical performance titled “Orchidia”, making for a fitting conclusion to a night that honored creators and celebrated literary and artistic beauty in all its forms