Al Ain Book Festival to Host Third Edition of Folk Poetry Programme

As part of this year's Al Ain Book Festival, hosted and organised by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC), the third edition of the 'Poetry Nights: The Sung Poetry' programme will take place at the historic Al Jahili Fort in Al Ain.

From November 17th to the 23rd, 74 poets and scholars are speaking across 21 panel discussions to celebrate and honour the cultural heritage of folk poetry.

This year's edition of the programme focuses on two central themes: commemorating the legacies of renowned poets who passed away this year, and laying the groundwork for an initiative to document and preserve their careers and accomplishments while mapping the trajectory of the poetic movement in the UAE.

The programme has established itself as an annual event in the folk poetry scene, simulating traditional majlis settings within the 130-year-old fort walls to share, discuss and recite under a different theme every year, exploring folk poetry's progression from the pre-union oral era to the current digital era.