Morocco Honors Literary Excellence at 2024 Book Prize Ceremony in Rabat

Rabat, The Gulf Observer: Moroccan Ministry of Youth, Culture, and Communication hosted the 2024 Morocco Book Prize ceremony on Saturday in Rabat, held in conjunction with the 30th International Publishing and Book Fair (SIEL). The event celebrated the 55th edition of one of Morocco’s most prestigious cultural awards, recognizing significant contributions to literature, research, and intellectual life.

A panel comprising prominent academics, researchers, and literary figures evaluated submissions across multiple categories, ultimately awarding prizes in six areas.

The Poetry Prize was jointly awarded to Idriss El Melliani and Mohamed Aziz El Hossini, while Said Montasib received the Narrative Prize. In the Human Sciences category, Hicham Rakik and Samir Ait Oumghar shared top honors.

Hassan Taleb took home the Translation Prize, and Larbi Moumouche received the Award for Amazigh Cultural Studies. The Amazigh Literature Prize went to Fouad Azeroual.

However, the jury withheld awards in the categories of Social Sciences, Literary, Artistic and Linguistic Studies, and Children’s and Young Adult Literature, citing that no submissions met the required standards.

The event also featured the 23rd Ibn Battouta Prize for Travel Literature, a regional cultural highlight organized during SIEL. Seven Moroccan authors were among the twelve laureates this year, dominating categories such as research, analysis, and translation in travel writing.

In the Verified Travel category, Abdelhadi Kadioui, Houria Rifi, and Mohamed El Andaloussi were jointly awarded for their work on historical travel texts. Mohamed Mohamed Khattabi won in the Daily Journal category, while Abdelaziz Jadir, Mohamed Naddam, and Abderrahman Temmara were recognized in the Studies category.

International awards went to Issam Mohammed Al-Shahadat from Jordan for Translated Travel Literature and Issa Makhlouf from Lebanon for Contemporary Travel Writing.

Since its inception in 2000, the Ibn Battouta Prize has recognized 144 writers from 20 countries across four continents, establishing itself as a cornerstone of Arab cultural and literary dialogue.

Morocco’s Minister of Youth and Culture, Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid, emphasized the role of the prizes in enriching Morocco’s cultural heritage and intellectual legacy. Nouri Al Jarrah, Director of the Arab Center for Geographic Literature, hailed the Ibn Battouta Prize as a vital contributor to Arab cultural life.

The 2024 SIEL in Rabat has once again transformed the capital into a vibrant hub of literary and cultural exchange, further enhancing its global reputation ahead of its designation as UNESCO World Book Capital 2026.