Info Minister inaugurates 13th Annual Al-Qurain Cultural Festival in Kuwait

KUN0092 4 GEN 0503 KUWAIT /KUNA-JGA9 CUL-KUWAIT-QURAIN Info Minister inaugurates 13th Annual Al-Qurain Cultural Festival in Kuwait KUWAIT, Dec 2 (KUNA) -- Minister of Information, Mohammad Al-Sanousi, expressed on Saturday pride for Kuwaiti figures who received awards and recognition by the 13th Annual Al-Qurain Cultural Festival. "The cultural aspect is important to approximate different nations and Kuwait has taken a significant and distinguished step in this regard," said Al-Sanousi, who inaugurated the Kuwaiti event on behalf of HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah. Al-Sanousi noted several cultural projects would be pursued by the State of Kuwait, pointing out more than 20 archaeological locations, which were recently discovered in the country. However, he admitted that "there are some (cultural) shortfalls and deteriorations especially that we have been talking about censorship in Kuwait's book fair and prohibition in art. "The intellectuals' ambitions are strong and they feel the inadequacy, for the culture is ever-changing and the world is small." Al-Sanousi and the Secretary General of Kuwait National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters Bader Al-Refai awarded Kuwaiti cultural figures, following a screening of short documentary films on the winners' biographies. The State Honorary Prizes were received by poet and diplomat Yaaqoub Al-Reshaid, poet Ali Al-Sabti, journalist Fatma Hussein, and actor Saad Al-Faraj. Al-Reshaid had been the editor-in-chief of the Kuwait Magazine from 1950 to 1958. He was assigned as the ambassador of Kuwait in several countries. Moreover, he published several poetry and literate criticism books and was awarded with several prestigious prizes and medals. Ali Al-Sabti is a prominent Kuwaiti poet and critic, who contribute a lot to intellectual work to modern Kuwaiti literature through the books he published. The women rights activist, Fatma Hussein, was among the pioneering Kuwaiti women in media field. She presented and produced several television shows and had worked as the editor-in-chief the daily Al-Watan Newspaper and Samra Magazine. Kuwait's famous actor, Saad Al-Faraj, is one of the major contributors to the drama movement in Kuwait and was previously awarded with several national, regional and international awards. He also wrote several books on the Kuwaiti drama and has been appointed as a drama advisor in Kuwait television (KTV). Several other Kuwaiti artists were also awarded. In the painting category, Suhaila Al-Najdi, Fahad Al-Shayie and Aysha Abdullah were awarded with the State's Encouragement Prize. In the literature category, novelist Buthaina Al-Issa, translator Fatma Al-Shayji and critic Abdullah Al-Qatam also were awarded. Mathematician, Khayriya Ramadan, won the prize in the education category. The three-day Al-Qurain Cultural Festival will include several plays, exhibitions and poetry reading in addition to inaugurations of several cultural projects. (end) sq.rb KUNA 022239 Dec 06NNNN