President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has announced that, beginning next year, the Government will introduce special arrangements to support publication of books by Dhivehi authors and launch a national competition to produce children’s short films focusing on language, culture, history and heritage.
The announcement was made during a ceremony held at Salahuddin School tonight to present awards to the winners of the National Literary Competitions. First Lady Sajidha Mohamed also attended the event.
Describing the Dhivehi language as a core element of Maldivian identity, the President underscored the importance of producing high-quality children’s books to ensure that Dhivehi language is passed from one generation to the next meaningfully and securely.
He noted that many aspiring and established authors wish to write children’s books but face significant challenges in getting their work published. Characterising this as a major national concern, the President stressed that the issue cannot be overlooked and pledged the Government’s commitment to addressing it.
The President further stated that literature is a vital component of a nation’s heritage and that strong writing and speaking skills are fundamental to national development. Emphasising the Government’s commitment to advancing the literary sector, he expressed his intention to bring about a transformative shift in literary ethics and culture.
He also noted that new methods are being developed to teach global languages through modern technology. Acknowledging public concerns regarding the limited availability of cartoons and films depicting national events for children in the Maldives, the President announced that a national competition would be launched next year to produce children’s short films centred on language, culture, history and heritage, with substantial prizes offered to encourage participation.
President Dr Muizzu further observed that the Dhivehi Thaana Handwriting Competition has not previously been conducted as the National Handwriting Competition for the President’s Prize. As such, he announced that, from next year, the Dhivehi Thaana Handwriting Competition will be formally organised at a national level.
Concluding his remarks, the President commended the participants for their exceptional talents and encouraged them to continue applying their literary skills for the advancement and benefit of the nation.
President Dr Muizzu presented awards to the first-place winners of this year’s National Literary Competitions, while First Lady Sajidha presented prizes to the second-place winners.
This is the first time that the award ceremony for the National Literary Competitions, organised by the Dhivehi Language Academy, has been held at the national level. The ceremony was attended by Cabinet Ministers and senior officials of the Academy.
