The celebration of announcing and distributing the awards of the Grand “Saheel” Literary Competition for Novels and Children’s Stories will be held today. It is the first competition organized by the Saheel Literary Foundation. Following the announcement of the competition, 50 contestants applied in the novel category and 100 contestants in the children’s stories category.
The submissions were received, coded, and presented to the preliminary screening committee in a neutral and anonymous manner. After nearly two months, the longlist was announced on May 15, 2026, featuring 10 works in each category. These were then advanced to the final jury, which prepared the shortlist on July 25, 2026, consisting of five contestants in each category, ranked for the awards. The institution allocated more than half a million Egyptian pounds in prizes.
In addition, Saheel Foundation introduced a new recognition: cash recognition awards for contestants who were not shortlisted from the longlist, to be presented during tonight’s ceremony at the Civil Education Hall of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, attended by guest of honor, former Egyptian Prime Minister Dr. Essam Sharaf, alongside a distinguished group of Egyptian and Arab intellectuals and writers.
The Jury comprised prominent Literary critics and novelists:
Prof. Dr. Osama Abu Taleb
Prof. Dr. Hossam Aql
Prof. Dr. Ahmed Salah Hashem
Novelist Mahmoud Arafat
Literary Critic Abbas Al‑Suhbi
Winners will receive valuable cash prizes in addition to the Golden Horse – Saheel Shield. Furthermore, the institution will publish all submitted literary productions free of charge, including unlisted entries (ten in each category).
🖋️Source: The National Media Authority Online Portal
