Seventeenth Cycle: Sawiris Cultural Prize in Egypt

Deadline: 11-Sep-21

The Sawiris Foundation for Social Development has launched its Seventeenth Cycle of Sawiris Cultural Prize in the following categories:

Section One (Great Writers)

• The award for the best work of fiction, valued at one hundred and fifty thousand Egyptian pounds
• Best short story collection award, worth one hundred and fifty thousand Egyptian pounds

Section Two (Young Writers )

• Best Fiction Work Award – First Place : One Hundred Thousand Egyptian Pounds – Second Place: Seventy Thousand Egyptian Pounds
• Best short story collection award – first place: one hundred thousand Egyptian pounds – second place: seventy thousand Egyptian pounds

Translation Award

It is granted to the first-place winning novelist – Literary Youth Branch, and includes all costs of contracting with one of the organizations or publishing houses to translate, print and publish the winning novel

• Prize conditions
  • The submitted work must be issued with a deposit number from the Egyptian National Library during the period between 2018 and 2020
  • The age of the applicant for the second category award (Young Writers) should not be more than 40 years on September 9, 2021

Best Screenplay Award

• The first section (Kyar Al-Kitab ) award for the best screenplay written directly for the cinema, and the value of one hundred and fifty thousand Egyptian pounds
• Second Branch (Book Youth ) Prize for the best script written directly to the cinema or adapted from a published Egyptian literary work, valued at eighty thousand Egyptian pounds
• Prize conditions
  • The production of the submitted script has not started until September 9, 2021
  • To accompany the text of the submitted script, a PDF copy of the general dramatic font of the work, not exceeding 5 pages
  • The age of the applicant for the Young Book Award should not be more than 40 years on September 9, 2021
  • If the script is based on a literary work, it is required to attach the written consent of the original author of the story to convert it into a script by the writer applying for the competition

Best Theatrical Script Award

• First place: the value of the prize is one hundred and fifty thousand Egyptian pounds. Second place: the value of the prize is eighty thousand Egyptian pounds
• Prize conditions:
  • The submitted work must not have been previously professionally staged
  • To accompany with the theatrical text submitted a PDF copy of the general dramatic font of the work in no more than 5 pages
  • If the theatrical text is taken from a literary work, it is required to attach the written consent of the original author of the story to convert it into a theatrical text by the writer applying for the competition
  • There is no specific age requirement for the applicant
  • Literary Criticism and Literary Narrative Prize
  • The value of the prize is one hundred thousand Egyptian pounds
• Prize conditions:
  • Awarded to the author of the best published book in the field of literary and artistic narration, including (biography, autobiography, travel literature, historical blogs, critical and journalistic writings).
  • The submitted work must be issued with a deposit number from Dar Al-Kutub during the period between 2018 and 2020
  • The submitted work should not be a scientific thesis or a research for obtaining a scientific degree
  • There is no specific age requirement for the applicant
  • Best Book Award for Children under 12 years old
  • The value of the prize is one hundred thousand Egyptian pounds, to be awarded equally between the author and illustrator of the winning work
• Prize conditions:
• The work should be in Arabic, not translated or adapted, and have contents aimed at children up to the age of 1
• The submitted work must be published and issued with a deposit number during the period between 2018 and 2020.
• The artist’s name and data (phone number, address and e-mail) are added to the application form
• A specific age is required for the applicant

Eligibility Criteria

• The applicant must be of Egyptian nationality.
• Only one work is submitted for each author, and submission is limited to only one branch of the award
• The submitted work should not have previously received an award
• In the case of works taken from literary texts in the script and theater branches, they must be based on an Egyptian literary text
• Nominated works are accepted from individuals as well as from cultural bodies, universities and institutions

For more information, visit https://www.sawirisfoundation.org/en/news-events/sawiris-cultural-award-round-20