Hosting the Winners of Sheikh Zayed Book Award 2025
Date :
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Wednesday 30 April 2025 |
Time :
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10:30 am – 12:30 pm |
Venue :
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Library, SUAD Campus |

Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi proudly hosts distinguished winners of the Sheikh Zayed Book Award 2025 and the Emirati Sard al Thahab Award for The Falcon. This exclusive gathering offers the attendees a unique opportunity to engage with renowned authors and explore the themes that shaped their award-winning works.Students will have the opportunity to read both books—complimentary signed copies provided by the Sheikh Zayed Book Award—and engage directly with the authors in a thoughtful discussion. This event not only raises awareness of pressing societal issues but also strengthens the connection between the students of Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi and the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, highlighting a shared commitment to cultural and intellectual enrichment.
About the Winners
Latifa Labsir is a Moroccan writer and academic, serving as a professor at the Faculty of Arts and Humanities – Ben M’Sik, at Hassan II University of Casablanca. She is a member of the Semiotics and Literary & Artistic Discourse Analysis Laboratory and has participated in international conferences and judged prestigious literary awards. In 2020, Labsir was recognised as a woman leader in a selection made by Kennesaw State University in the US and Hassan II University. Her notable works include ‘The Phantom of Sabiba’ (2024), ‘Little Covid’ (2023), and ‘It Happens in That Room’ (2018). Under the literary and artistic critique genre, Labsir has published ‘A Woman’s Autobiography/Ambiguous Gender’ (2018) and ‘Life is Not Always Digital’ (2025).
Gilbert Sinoué is a Franco-Egyptian novelist, historian, and screenwriter born in Cairo and based in Paris since 1966. Bridging Arab and Western cultures, he has authored over 40 works—novels, essays, and biographies—many focused on the Arab world and translated into more than 15 languages. His acclaimed books include The Book of Sapphire (Prix des Libraires, 1996) and The Silence of God (Grand Prix de Littérature Policière, 2004). Notable works include the Inch’Allah trilogy and The Falcon, a fictionalized biography of Sheikh Zayed. In 2023, he received the Emirati Sard al Thahab Award for The Falcon, and in 2024, was named Commander of Arts and Letters by the French government.
Moderator
Dr Hana Subhi is a professor and researcher, French language and Literature, Translation Studies at Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi. She earned a Ph.D. in Modern French Literature, Sorbonne University-Paris. She won the Prize of The International Organization of the Francophonie, Ibn Khaldun-Senghor 2014, for the Translation of the French Philosopher Edgar Morin’s Book “The Humanity of Humanity, Human Identity.”
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Bookings are closed for this event.