On February 27, marking the birthday of Sharif Kamal, the fifth Sharif Kamal Literary Award ceremony will take place at the Museum of the History of Tatar Literature with the writer’s memorial apartment—a branch of the National Museum of the Republic of Tatarstan.

This year, over 60 aspiring writers have submitted their works for consideration. Among the participants are school students and university scholars, directors and playwrights, teachers and IT specialists aged 14 to 35—the award brings together young talents from diverse backgrounds. The competition has also expanded its geography, now welcoming participants not only from Tatarstan, Bashkortostan, and Moscow but also from Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkey, and Egypt.

For the first time, new categories have been introduced, broadening the thematic scope of the competition. In addition to the traditional categories of “Fiction” and “Literary Translation,” two new nominations have been added—”Galiaskar Kamal. Comics” and “Naki Isanbet. Children’s and Young Adult Fiction.” These new categories celebrate the 140th anniversary of Galiaskar Kamal and the 125th anniversary of Naki Isanbet. Participants have submitted sketches, comic scripts, and fully developed graphic novels ready for publication.

“Over the past five years, the Sharif Kamal Award has become a key platform for discovering and promoting young authors,” says Aydar Shaikhin, head of the House of Tatar Book. “Each name uncovered by this competition could become a future literary brand, and every young writer—a potential figure in the museums of the future.”

The Sharif Kamal Literary Award was established in 2020 by the Ministry of Culture of Tatarstan. The competition is organized by the National Museum of Tatarstan and its branch—the Museum of the History of Tatar Literature with the Memorial Apartment of Sharif Kamal (House of Tatar Book). It remains the only literary award dedicated to young writers and translators aged 14 to 35 who write short stories or novellas in the Tatar language or translate works from Tatar into foreign languages.

This year, the award coincides with three significant milestones: the 130th anniversary of the National Museum of Tatarstan, the 75th anniversary of Sharif Kamal’s memorial apartment museum, and the 110th anniversary of his novella Seagulls.

Source: mincult.tatarstan.ru