TEHRAN – The winners of the Dibil Khuzai Awards – Ashura Book of the Year in various categories were honored during a special ceremony at the House of Humanities Thinkers in Tehran on Wednesday.

The Dibil Khuzai Foundation, a center established by the office of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, launched the awards in 2018 to honor books on Imam Hussein (AS) and Ashura, the 10th day of Muharram, the day upon which Imam Hussein (AS) and his companions were martyred in Karbala in 680 CE.   

The awards were named after Dibil bin Ali al-Khuzai, a famous Shia poet who lived during the 8th century.

The Dibil Khuzai Awards ceremony was attended by a large number literati and cultural officials, including Hojjatoleslam Mohammad Qomi, the director of the Islamic Ideology Dissemination Organization (IIDO).   

“The History of Elegy Composing in Lucknow” written by Kalb Abbas about the history of elegy compositions on the tragedy of Ashura in the Indian town of Lucknow received the award in the Literary Research Section.

In the Dramatic Literature Section, “Taziehnameh”, a book on the Iranian passion play tazieh by Gholamali Nadalizadeh, won the award.

“Kashub”, a book by Nafiseh Morshedzadeh that narrates opinions of 23 Iranian writers about the story of Ashura, won the award in the Non-Fiction Literature Section.

The Fiction Section award went to “Summons” by Ali Moazzeni. The story is about a journalist who received “an order” to visit Karbala, which is home to the shrines of Imam Hussein (AS) and his brother, Hazrat Abbas (AS).

In the Nohay Section, “The Grandeur of Blossom”, a collection of elegy compositions on the Ashura tragedy by Mohsen Hafezi, was honored.

“The Month of Purple” by Abdorreza Rezainia received the award in the Poetry Section.

Books on the categories of art, history and children’s literature were also honored.

Photo: An unidentified winner receives his award from IIDO director Hojjatoleslam Mohammad Qomi during the Dibil Khuzai Awards – Ashura Book of the Year at the House of Humanities Thinkers in Tehran on September 18, 2019. (Mehr/Hamid Vakili)
 
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