Mathayel Eighth Round Concludes as Poet Rashid Nasser Al Juwai'ed Qualifies

The eighth episode of the third edition of the Mathayel Nabati Poetry Competition, organised by the Ministry of Culture under the slogan “Morals Have Signs,” concluded at the Mathayel Theater in the Ministry’s building. Poet Rashid Nasser Al Juwai'ed won the competition’s eighth round, during which the poets presented poems under the theme “Planning,” qualifying him for the final scheduled for December.

The organising committee announced that the Qatar National Day slogan “You Are the Nation’s Treasure” had been selected as the theme for the poems in the final episode, in which the qualifying poets will compete. The eighth episode featured five poets: Rakan Safar Al Ghamdi, Rashid Nasser Al Juwai'ed, Saud bin Omar, Abdullah Fahad Al Judai and Falih bin Mahl.

The poets recited their poems before the judging panel, which presented them during the improvisation segment with a hemistich from a poem by the late Abdullah bin Rashid Al Mannai, one of the pioneers of Qatari poetry. They were asked to compose three verses around it while incorporating the selected hemistich according to their poetic vision. On this occasion, Shabeeb bin Arar Al Nuaimi, Director of the Qatar Poetry Center and Director of the Publications and Translation Department at the Ministry of Culture, said the eighth episode featured strong competition among a distinguished group of creative poets.

He said they had once again demonstrated that audiences could always look forward to authentic poetry and refined creativity through the presentation of the finest and most beautiful verse. He noted that the competition’s third season, as it closes its penultimate chapter, builds on the success achieved during the previous two seasons as it moves towards the final and the crowning of the winning poet.

Saudi poet Mohammed Al Ajmi, the guest of the eighth episode, said Mathayel is distinguished as a unique poetic and literary experience that does not rely on audience voting. Instead, it is based on objective and impartial assessments by judging panels with extensive competence and expertise in organising and managing major literary events of this kind. He said the competition’s significance lies in its emphasis on artistic and aesthetic qualities rather than poetry’s popular appeal, as well as its efforts to promote and instil good character and noble values.

He added that the episode’s poets excelled in presenting works embodying these meanings and objectives. For his part, poet Rashid Nasser Al Juwai'ed said reaching the competition’s final marked an important milestone in his poetic career. He expressed his commitment to presenting a poem worthy of the literary event before its distinguished judging panel.

The judging panel praised the standard and poetic performances of the competing poets. Jury member and poet Hamad bin Abdullah Al Naimi highlighted the success achieved by the third season’s episodes through the eighth round, saying it reflected the results of the efforts made throughout the season.

He also reviewed record figures reflecting the competition’s standing and audience turnout, as well as the calibre of the poets who qualified in every episode since the season began, affirming the strong reputation Mathayel has established. The Mathayel competition specialises in Nabati poetry and introduces a monthly cultural value around which poets compete, with one poet crowned each month.

Its third edition reflects the Ministry of Culture’s commitment to supporting poetic talent, highlighting the most distinguished poets and building on the Ministry’s successful competitions for the creative community in previous years, which attracted notable participation.

The winner of first place and the competition title in the final will receive QAR 1 million, while each poet finishing from second to ninth place will receive QAR 100,000. Saudi poet Mohammed Khalid Al Subaie won the title of Mathayel Poet in the competition’s second edition last year.

Source: QNA

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