Intellectuals Union in Jazira launches playwriting competition as part of 2026 festival

The Union of Intellectuals of Jazira is preparing to hold the annual cultural festival of the union in its third edition during the current month of November.

In this context, the co-chair of the Union of Intellectuals of Jazira, Yusuf Koti, stated that the first edition of the annual cultural festival was dedicated to poetry in both Kurdish and Arabic, while the second edition focused on short stories in both Arabic and Kurdish. The third edition, scheduled for 2026, will be dedicated to playwriting.

Koti, who is a member of the Preparatory Committee for the playwriting competition, explained that the festival lasts for three days, starting with the opening and cultural activities, leading up to the announcement of the results and the distribution of prizes to the top three winners. He pointed out that the prizes allocated for the playwriting competition are not tied to the language of the performance, whether it is Arabic or Kurdish.

He explained that the door for participation is open to writers from various regions of Rojava and within Syria, by sending the texts via email or WhatsApp numbers, noting that an evaluation committee will be responsible for reading and studying the submitted works according to specific artistic and literary criteria.

Koti confirmed that the members of the evaluation committee will not know the authors of the submitted texts, in order to ensure integrity and transparency in the process of selecting the winning works.

He indicated that the Preparatory Committee is ready to extend the submission deadline set for November 12, 2026, if necessary, clarifying that the texts should not be less than ten pages and not exceed thirty pages, and should not have been published or presented in other festivals, whether through written publication or theatrical performance. Additionally, no participant is allowed to submit more than one text.

Koti addressed the state of theater in Rojava over the past years, noting the development and increased interaction between writers and theater enthusiasts, coinciding with the growing interest of the audience in theatrical performances.

He confirmed that the competition aims to support talents and encourage their development in the field of playwriting, as well as in poetry, short stories, and novels. He pointed out that the previous Ba'athist regime deprived the Kurds of their cultural rights, and that the festival allows talents and writers to present their works and express themselves.

Koti explained that the festival will be held in the Reading Park in the city of Qamishlo, starting at five in the evening, and its activities will last for about two hours or more.

He added that the evaluation committee will announce the results of its work on the last day of the festival, and will explain to the attendees the evaluation mechanism and the reasons it relied on in selecting the winning texts, before distributing the awards to the top three positions, ensuring transparency and credibility at all stages of the competition.

The Union of Intellectuals of Jazira had previously announced the opening of registration for participation in the playwriting competition, according to specific conditions, with the reception of submissions continuing until November 12 of this year.

ANHA