Saudi Arabia Launches Golden Pen Award for Fiction with $690,000 Prize Pool

Riyadh, The Gulf Observer: Saudi Arabia has introduced a new award for fiction writing, known as the Golden Pen Award for Novels, offering a total prize pool of $690,000 and promising film adaptations of winning works. The announcement was made on Saturday by Turki Alalshikh, Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority (GEA).

The competition, open to original works in Arabic and eligible to participants of all nationalities and ages, aims to support Arab novelists and bolster the regional film industry. Alalshikh emphasized that the award will not only honor exceptional literary achievements but also contribute to the growth of the film sector in the region.

The grand prize includes $100,000 for the first-place winner and $50,000 for the second-place winner. Both top winners will see their novels adapted into films produced by the GEA. The third-place winner will receive $30,000.

In addition to the grand prize, the Golden Pen Award will recognize excellence in various literary genres through the Novel Tracks Awards. Winners in categories such as romance, thriller, mystery, comedy, action, fantasy, investigative, horror, and historical fiction will each receive $25,000.

The awards will also include prizes for the Best Screenplay Adapted from a Literary Work, with $100,000 for first place, $50,000 for second place, and $30,000 for third place. The Best Translated Novel Award will offer $100,000, while the Audience Award, determined by an electronic voting platform, will provide $30,000.

Alalshikh revealed that the main judging panel will consist of three novelists, three screenwriters, and three producers from the Arab world, with an auxiliary committee responsible for the initial screening.

The winners of the Golden Pen Award will be announced at a grand awards ceremony, which will be broadcast on television and various digital platforms.