The eighth Moroccan Poetry Festival opened on October 16, 2026 at Mayadeen Hall in Marrakech under the patronage of Sharjah Ruler Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi and King Mohammed VI of Morocco. The Sharjah Department of Culture organised the event in cooperation with Morocco’s Ministry of Youth, Culture and Sports, drawing more than 50 poets, intellectuals and artists from Morocco and abroad for activities that run through October 18, the Emirates News Agency reported. Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Owais, chairman of the Sharjah Department of Culture, led a delegation at the opening alongside Mohammed Ibrahim Al Qaseer and Moroccan officials including the ministry secretary general, according to the agency. Earlier coverage by WAM of previous editions showed the festival typically assembles around 40 participants, indicating an expansion in the current gathering.
The programme spans multiple venues including the University Digital Library at Cadi Ayyad University, Arsat Moulay Abdesalam garden and RIM Park, according to festival organisers. A forum on October 17 addressed the identity of the poetic text in Morocco, followed by poetry readings from several Moroccan poets, an announcement from the university stated. The House of Poetry in Marrakech, which coordinates much of the programming, highlighted its recent season through a documentary at the opening that covered poetry evenings, seminars, exhibitions and youth workshops, the Emirates News Agency added.
Organisers honoured three veteran Moroccan poets during the opening for their contributions across decades to the national literary scene. Idris Al-Milyani, Khadija Yakan and Mohammed Al-Ghaith Keen received tributes that form part of an annual initiative to recognise lifetime achievement in poetry, according to a statement from the House of Poetry. The event also celebrates Morocco’s linguistic and cultural diversity, featuring works in Classical Arabic, zajal, Amazigh and Hassani, festival programme details show.
Winners of the best poem and poetry criticism awards were announced at the ceremony, building on a competition launched in June 2026 that invited submissions from Moroccan poets under the age of 30 as well as foreign residents in the country. Mohammed Kabdani took first place in the best poem category, Abdul Samad Ait Mubarak placed second and Khawla Al-Dahani came third, the Emirates News Agency reported. The competition offers cash prizes and publication in an anthology for winners, according to an earlier announcement by the House of Poetry in Marrakech.
Saudi Arabia and Egypt served as guests of honour for this edition, expanding the international dimension of the gathering, festival organisers stated. The event builds on longstanding cultural cooperation between Sharjah and Morocco that has supported the House of Poetry since its establishment, previous WAM dispatches from comparable festivals indicated. Additional activities include musical performances and public space engagements across Marrakech to broaden access to poetic traditions.
The festival coincides with the tenth season of the House of Poetry in Marrakech and seeks to spotlight new poetic voices alongside established ones, according to the organisers’ briefing. Such efforts have positioned the event as an annual platform for dialogue on contemporary Moroccan poetry and its connections to regional and global traditions, a review of past editions published by WAM concluded.
