Thirty five novels compete for prestigious literary Prize
Tunis, April 23, 2008 (TunisiaOnline)--Twenty two novels in Arabic language and 13 novels in French have been pre-selected for the 2008 edition of Tunisia's most prestigious literary prize, the “Comar d'Or”. The prize which is now well established on the Tunisian literary scene, since it has been running for 12 years, was initiated by Mr Rachid Ben Jemia , the CEO of the Comar insurance group , who has financially supported this cultural initiative out of the conviction that reading increases the intellectual potential and value of man.
The success of this literary adventure is confirmed each year by the increasing number of novels which compete for the prize. In spite of the relative modesty of the first prize awarded each year respectively to the best French and Arabic novels (5000 dinars) , the prize continues to be coveted by most Tunisian writers, because of the aura and prestige it bestows on the winners.
In addition to the two first prizes there are also ‘special prizes' of the jury (2500 dinars) for works of fiction that display a certain originality. Two ‘discovery prizes' (1000 dinars each ) are also handed out each year for promising novels by budding writers.
Among this year's novels in French one can find “the solitude of the mathematician” by Jamel Ghanouchi, “What Tunis did not tell me” by Kaouthar Khelifi, and “an afternoon in the desert” by Mustafa Tlili.
The Award ceremony is scheduled on April 26, 2008 at the Tunis Municipal Theater. The evening will be enhanced by the performance of Zied Gharsa, the renowned Tunisian ‘Tarab' singer.
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