Sheikh Zayed Book Award

Dr. Tahera Qutbuddin has become the first person from India to win the prestigious Sheikh Zayed Book Award.

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Prominent German philosopher Juergen Habermas had turned down the Sheikh Zayed Book Award over its ties “with the existing political system” in the UAE, a hereditarily ruled country long criticised for its suppression of dissent.

The Sheikh Zayed Book Award is a literary award begun in the UAE.

The award is named after Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the first president of the UAE when the federation of seven sheikhdoms became a country in 1971.

While describing itself as an “independent” initiative, the prize is administered by Abu Dhabi culture and tourism authorities.

The “Cultural Person of the Year” is the premier category, it includes an award of one million Dirhams (around $300,000) while the other categories receive around $200,000 each.