Mahmoud Darwish criticizes Palestinian writers

The press campaign that accompanied the competition for the Palestinian Literary Awards angered Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish, who described the controversies over these awards as proof that the cultural sector is sick with coercive and totalitarian tendencies.

He added that the level of those controversies made him realize the importance of creating a better educational environment in Palestinian cultural life which would improve cultural dialogues and discussions and save it from the sickness that is encumbering its progress. Cultural life should not be ruled by the limited and obsolete rules of other fields, he said.

Darwish criticized writers who have been in many of the cultural organizations and bodies for more than twenty years without contributing any distinctive writings. He added that he had not heard of any regime in the world that honored its writers without inspecting the level and value of their contributions, as if the government should pay those writers money in order to remain citizens of that country.

Darwish called on all writers to seize the opportunity to develop their knowledge, culture and literary creations.