The recording tour for the twelfth season of the “Million’s Poet” program, produced by the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage under the slogan “Our Poem is One,” featured a variety of events reflecting the aesthetics of Nabati poetry.

The first recording episode was dedicated to interviews with the program’s judging panel held in the Saudi capital Riyadh from August 24 to 28.

A total of 473 poets participated in the tour, with the committee approving 417 of them. Eight poets received the golden card, qualifying them directly to the top 100 stage preceding the selection and announcement of the list of 48 poets. They are: Abdulrahman Fahd Al-Qaws, Yaqoub Al-Otaibi, Nasser Al-Naji, Nawaf Rashid Abu Nayan Al-Subaie, Nafea Nafa Safran Al-Dalbahy Al-Otaibi, Waleed Nasser Mohammed Al-Buhaij, Shaher Mohammed Al-Lugbah Al-Sharari, and Mariam Ali Mohammed Al-Mubti Al-Yami.

The episode opened with talks from the judging panel members: Dr. Ghassan Al-Hassan, Dr. Sultan Al-Amimi, and poet Hamad Al-Saeed, who reviewed their early beginnings and recalled moments and situations that paved their way into the world of literature and criticism before the interviews began. The poems of the participating poets showed diversity in content and poetic purposes, expressing feelings of sadness, joy, elegy, and pride.

The tour also featured an innovative segment that involved a challenge between poets and artificial intelligence. One poet presented verses for the AI to match in rhythm and meaning, but the poet’s verses were not approved due to the AI’s response lacking correct meter and proper expression of meaning.

The “interactive studio” was part of the episode, forming an unconventional station that allowed direct interaction and exchange of opinions with the program’s advisory committee. The studio overlooks the interview studio, documenting key moments and immediate impressions from guests and advisory committee members, providing the audience with a deep and comprehensive insight into the interviews and behind-the-scenes events.

Columns of Nabati

The “Columns of Nabati” segment within the recording episode was an informative break that covered the life and poetic contributions of the late Prince Badr bin Abdul Mohsen bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, with the participation of Saudi poet and academic Dr. Maha Al-Otaibi. It also highlighted the features of the urban renaissance in the Kingdom through a tour of historic markets, showcasing their prosperous present and ambitious future vision.

The poets who received the judging panel’s approval confirmed that participating in “Million’s Poet” represents an important milestone in their poetic careers, especially with the media spotlight the program shines on their poetic experiences and inspiring stories. They noted that the program not only offers them the opportunity to participate in the largest event in the field of Nabati poetry but also opens doors for communication with poetry audiences across various countries.

Meanwhile, poets who were not approved expressed appreciation for the precise critical feedback provided by the judging panel, affirming that it serves as a real motivation to develop their poetic tools and refine their talent. They consider this experience a valuable addition and qualitative expertise that will qualify them to participate with greater confidence in future seasons of the program.

The second recording episode will be broadcast the evening after tomorrow, Tuesday.

(WAM)