The shortlist for the BRICS Literature Award was officially unveiled at the H.B. Jassin Literary Documentation Center in Jakarta, spotlighting 10 distinguished authors from BRICS and partner countries, including the United Arab Emirates’ own Reem Al Kamali.
The announcement ceremony gathered prominent speakers such as Dr. GanjarHarimansyah (Secretary of Indonesia’s Agency for Language Development and Cultivation), Muhammad Shadiq Pasadique (MP, Indonesia), Nikita Shilikov (Director, Russian House in Indonesia), Vadim Teryokhin (Co-Chairman, BRICS Literature Network, Russia), and others.
Founded in 2024 at the first BRICS “Traditional Values” forum in Moscow, the BRICS Literature Award honors contemporary writing that embodies the cultural and spiritual values of the BRICS nations. The award places special emphasis on translation and publishing, enabling genuine dialogue between civilizations.
The award jury consists of experts in literature and science from each participating country. Nominees are put forward by jury members or their designated representatives. The winner is determined in three stages: the longlist was announced a month ago at the second BRICS “Traditional Values” forum in Brasília; the name of the winner will be revealed on November 27 in Khabarovsk (Russia).
The shortlist for 2025 is a globally diverse cohort, comprising Ana Maria Gonçalves from Brazil, Alexey Varlamov from Russia, Sonu Saini from India, Ma Boyong from China, Nthabiseng JahRose Jafta from South Africa, Reem Al Kamali from the United Arab Emirates, Abere Adamu from Ethiopia, Mansour Alimoradi from Iran, Denny JA from Indonesia, and Salwa Bakr from Egypt.
Vadim Teryokhin emphasized:
“The BRICS Award gives contemporary writers from different countries the opportunity to get acquainted with each other’s works, understand their own place in the global literary process, learn from peers and adapt this experience at home. Most importantly, we introduce the global readership to the unique development experience and national character of our countries. The award fosters cultural cooperation, mutual influence, and people’s diplomacy.”
Denny JA, Indonesia’s nominee and celebrated poet, remarked:
“Let us not allow the Nobel Prize to remain the sole compass of world literature. Literature should never be a monarchy of values ruled from one pole of civilization. The BRICS Literature Award does not seek to dethrone the Nobel, but to complement it — offering a new, more inclusive and just compass for world literature.”
Reflecting on literature as a form of diplomacy, he added:
“In an age when politics is fenced by sanctions and walls, literature moves quietly — through pages, through hearts, through empathy. If the G7 speaks through policy, then BRICS can speak through poetry. At its finest, literature is not propaganda — it is revelation.”
UAE Recognition and Participation
For the UAE, the shortlisting of Reem Al Kamali is a source of pride and a testament to the country’s growing influence in the international literary community.
Dr. Abdulkhaleq Abdulla, Professor of Political Science (UAE), invited professor and fellow at Harvard University, and member of the BRICS Literature Award Organizing Committee from the UAE, commented:
“I am proud to see our Reem Al Kamali make it to the shortlist of the BRICS Literature Award 2025. She deserves this recognition for her original literary work and dedication to creative writing.
The BRICS Literature Award celebrates the power of words to unite voices from across ten emerging powers who share hopes for a better future through poetry, prose, and imagination. This one-of-a-kind award reminds us that culture unites us and that literature remains the best diplomacy. In every language, the award recognizes artistic excellence and enduring dialogue in our diverse, interconnected world.”
Dr. Maryam AlHashmi, Emirati literary critic, writer, and BRICS Literature Award jury member from the UAE, also reflected on the announcement’s significance. She highlighted that the Award is more than a competition; it is a platform for civilizational dialogue and mutual understanding among nations.
“The announcement of the shortlist for the BRICS International Literature Award marks an important moment, reaffirming the enduring power of literature as a human force capable of shaping societies and building bridges,” Dr. AlHashmi noted.
She stressed the demanding, rewarding work of the jury in engaging with outstanding works from across BRICS, each author bringing forth stories and ideas that reveal the richness of diverse civilizational experiences.
“Through literature, we are invited into the inner worlds of different peoples — their memories, histories, and dreams. This journey reminds us that while our languages and geographies may differ, our human experiences are profoundly intertwined.”
Dr. AlHashmi underscored that each shortlisted work opens a window onto its own civilization, but together, they form a mosaic that enriches shared humanity.
“These writers explore identity, history, and belonging with sensitivity. Their creative voices reflect both diversity and the fundamental values that unite civilizations.”
She further remarked on the Award’s emphasis on translation as a bridge for ideas and insights to travel across languages and borders, thus reinforcing literature’s role as a universal language of empathy and understanding.
