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By Jayne Spencer
The last day of November 1998 was one for the books for author and scholar Fedwa Malti-Douglas, winner of the 1997 Kuwait Prize for Arts and Letters from the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS).
She met with the Emir of Kuwait, delivered an acceptance speech on behalf of other recipients who gathered for prizes and book awards from around the globe, appeared on Good Morning Kuwait and collected a monetary award of 30,000 Kuwaiti dinars. That's roughly equivalent to $100,000 in U.S. currency.
"The entire adventure has been like a dream, a succession of unbelievable events," said Malti-Douglas, the Martha C. Kraft Professor of the humanities and of gender studies at Indiana University Bloomington. "First, the notification that I had been nominated for this coveted award was itself a great honor. But what an even greater honor it was when I was notified that I was the recipient of the prize. My disbelief was compounded when I was invited by the Kuwait Foundation to deliver the official speech of thanks on behalf of all the prize winners at the official ceremony."
KFAS has been awarding the Kuwait Prizes since 1979, with annual prizes awarded in five categories in the sciences and humanities, each category being divided between Kuwaitis and non-Kuwaitis. Because of the highly selective reputation of its prizes, the Kuwait Prize has become known at the "Nobel Prize of the Arabs," Malti-Douglas said.
"I learned as soon as I was met at the airport that prizes had been awarded in only two categories, that of basic sciences and of arts and letters," Malti-Douglas said. "The prizes in the other categories (and all those for Kuwaitis) had been withdrawn. Further, the official from the Kuwait Foundation was quick to tell me that mine was the only full prize awarded, the other prize being shared between two scientists, only one of whom was in Kuwait for the ceremony."
Since 1979, only four full Kuwait Prizes for Arts and Letters had been awarded in the category for non-Kuwaitis. Malti-Douglas' was the fifth.
"I was interviewed on Kuwaiti television, on Good Morning Kuwait, and my speech at the ceremony was amply covered on Arab television and in other media," the professor said. "Over the years, I have become familiar with that invariable part of Arab television news broadcasts which shows the leader of the country greeting visiting dignitaries. What a surprise it was to find myself in this position as Kuwait television covered my meeting with the Emir!"
There was more to the visit than just the prize, she said.
"Being in an environment where learning and research are highly regarded and richly rewarded was truly uplifting. A private audience with His Highness, the Emir, at which it became clear that he values and respects knowledge, the generosity of the Kuwaitis, the excitement over cultural and scientific issues, the openness to intellectual exploration, the wealth of technological advancement, the beauty and cleanliness of the country -- all of this and more made my trip to Kuwait an exciting and rewarding experience."
For the Kuwait Prize competition, Malti-Douglas included in her submission her 1985 book, Structures of Avarice, and the 1991 Woman's Body, Woman's Word, which studied medieval and modern texts, ranging from The Thousand and One Nights to geographical and philosophical works.
For more on Malti-Douglas' scholarly work, go to this HP archival site:
Malti-Douglas awarded $100,000 Kuwait Prize
for Arts and Letters (March 6, 1998)
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