Sacred Defense Poetry Festival Held in Sirjan

According to Khabaronline News Agency; Mahmoud Mahdavifard, Director General of the Preservation of Works and Publication of Sacred Defense and Resistance Values of Kerman Province, announced at the closing ceremony of the 27th Sacred Defense and Resistance Poetry Festival and the 14th Yusuf Literary Festival in Sirjan: “Kerman Province, the land of the generous, and Sirjan, a city of literature and art, are hosting these two major festivals. Fortunately, various programs were implemented throughout the festivals, and today we are witnessing their closing ceremony in Sirjan, a city which is itself Dar al-Husayn and a city of art, literature, and media.”

He added, referring to the activities of the Sacred Defense Poetry Festival’s secretariat last year and this year: “More than 450 works specifically on Sacred Defense themes were submitted to the secretariat, which were judged in five sections, and winners will be announced and awards presented in each section.”

The Director General of the Preservation of Works also spoke about the Yusuf Literary Festival, stating: “This festival, dedicated to short stories, was held with the participation of 200 individuals and the submission of 200 works. The works were evaluated in four sections, and three top works will be selected and honored in each section.”

Mahdavifard concluded by noting: “At the closing ceremony, art groups from Sirjan also contributed to the cultural richness of the event by performing theatrical programs.”

Subsequently, the final statement was read by Seyed Ali Mansourian, the academic secretary of the congress.

Mansourian, referring to the receipt of 457 pieces of poetry in classical and modern forms, considered these works a step towards the evolution and enrichment of resistance poetry and thanked all participating poets. He attributed the holding of the congress to the sincere cooperation of the General Directorate for the Preservation of Works and Publication of Sacred Defense and Resistance Values of Kerman Province and other accompanying organizations.

The statement continued: “This year, the significant presence of young poets brought great hope and joy. The submitted poems were meticulously examined based on recognized criteria of Persian poetry, including thought, language, music, imagination, imagery, and innovation. Due to the numerous similarities among the works, judging was a difficult task, and absence from the final list does not imply overlooking an entry.”

Mansourian emphasized: “This selection is not the end of the road, but a beginning for more effort and deeper poetic creation. The artistic gap between the top poems was very small, and judging was only possible through repeated study and contemplation.”

In this round, three selected works with the theme of Sacred Defense, three poems on the topic of children and adolescents, and one work in the special section “12-Day War” were chosen. Additionally, a series of poetry nights and workshops were held in cooperation with the Dalalam Literary Association of Kerman, within the framework of the Sacred Defense Week call for submissions, which was met with enthusiastic reception from poets and enthusiasts of Persian poetry and literature.

The statement concluded by emphasizing the necessity of expanding education and holding poetry workshops for teenagers and young adults, and ended with the prayer: “Oh God, make the outcome such that You are pleased and we are successful.”