Internationally Acclaimed Poet Reads Poetry at Georgetown in Qatar
The Arabic Language Studies Program at Georgetown University in Qatar (GU-Q) recently hosted an evening of Arabic poetry with the internationally acclaimed Arab poet Adonis on March 9th. Described as the greatest living poet of the Arab world, born in Syria in 1930, Ali Ahmad Said Asbar, better known by the pen name Adonis is primarily renowned as a poet and literary critic, having written numerous books and lectured Arab literature and culture at many prestigious universities such as Sorbonne and Princeton. With a career that spans six decades, he has won the most prestigious awards from all around the world and has been named a commander of France’s Order of Arts, became the first Arab writer to win the Goethe prize in Germany and was nominated three times for the Nobel Prize in literature.
Professor Al-Tonsi who heads the Arabic Language Studies Program at GU-Q, said that this event is the second in the series of cultural events Arabic Language Studies Program will be organizing this year in celebration of the Arab culture and heritage marking the 10 year anniversary of Georgetown University in Qatar. The series kicked off last month with a concert of Marcel Khalifa and Mohamed Mohsen.
“We are truly delighted to have the opportunity to host a renowned Arab cultural figure such as Adonis to help us celebrate Arab heritage. Adonis is one of the most revered poets of the Arabic-speaking world and when one listens to Adonis read his literary works his audiences truly feel that they are in the presence of a poet of global importance. In the case of his poetry, he is influential and sometimes controversial. Adonis is credited with making Arab poetry modern,”commented prof. Al-Tonsi on the significance of Adonis’s literary works.
Adonis is also famous for his critical views on Arab culture, politics and current affairs and even today, at 81 years of age he retains his fresh and critical outlook on the events in his homeland, attracting controversy and debate.
Commenting on the importance of poetry in Arab culture, Adonis said, “There are two things that are central to our culture: religion and poetry. They were always in conflict. Unfortunately now religion is overwhelming poetry, but I have a saying that poetry remains deeply-rooted and strong. Poetry has never had any influence throughout history, however poetry creates a new aesthetic, a new beauty, and a new type of relations between things and people, and this is not insignificant,” he explained.
Adonis has lived in Paris since 1986 and has positioned himself between Arab and Western societies and is equally critical of both. He has been praised and reviled as a revolutionary poet and public intellectual.
Adonis’s other honors include the first ever International Nâzim Hikmet Poetry Award, the Syria-Lebanon Best Poet Award, and the Highest Award of the International Poem Biennial in Brussels. He was elected as Stephen Mallarme Academy Member in Paris in 1983.