ON MONDAY, Culture Minister Farouk Hosni announced the winners of this year's state merit awards during a press conference held after the 35th meeting of the Higher Council of Culture, during which voting for the honours took place. There are four classes of awards: State Merit (with a LE100,000 prize), State Incentive (LE 20,000); the Mubarak Award (LE 200,000); and the Distinction Award (LE 50,000). The Mubarak Award for Art was presented to Hamed Ewis, while the Social Sciences Award went to Kamel Zoheiry. The Award for Literature was withheld, as a result of a tie between Asmaa Alfred George and Kamal El-Bashir. The Distinction Awards were granted to renowned composer Ammar El-Sherei, prominent writers Youssri El-Guindy, Fouad Qandil and Fathiya El-Assal, prominent economist Gouda Abdel-Khaleq, and Cairo University economics professors Fawziya El-Mowallid and Mohamed Diaaeddin. The Merit Awards, meanwhile, were bestowed upon eight public figures, including veteran actor Fouad El-Mohandis and Ratiba Hefny, an advisor to the National Cultural Centre chairman. Well-known writer Abdel-Wahab El-Messiry also picked up an award. The Incentive Awards were presented to 15 different intellectuals in various fields, including Nabil Luqa for his book Terrorism, A Non-Islamic Industry, Mohamed Afifi for Religion and Politics in Modern Egypt and novelist Nagwa Shaaban for her historical novel, Nawwat Al-karam (Storm of Generosity).
