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Poetry competitions are significant activities within the literary and cultural realms. These competitions reflect people's interest in poetry and poets. The book "Al-ʿAqīdah al-Adabīyah fī Sabʿah al-Funūn al-Maʿnawīyah" by Aḥmad al-Rabbāt al-Halabī, a folk poet who lived in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, provides valuable information about competitions held among folk poets who specialized in seven types of poetry: Şi›r al-Karīd, Muwashshah, Dū-beyt, Kān-wa-kān, Zajal, Qûma and Mawāliyyā. These competitions, which took place during the Ottoman period, were organized objectively and institutionally, following specific rules in public venues accessible to poets, writers, and the general public. Despite being overlooked in Arab literary history books, these competitions were held in coffee houses in the Levant and Egypt during the 18th century, and the winning poet would receive a prize consisting of a caftan and a monetary reward. This article aims to shed light on this cultural and literary activity based on the aforementioned book, providing insights into the cultural and literary life in the Levant and Egypt towards the end of the 18th century. The article is divided into two main sections: the first provides an overview of Aḥmad al-Rabbāt al-Halabī and his book "Al-ʻAqīdah al-Adabīyah fī Sabʻah al-Funūn al-Maʻnawīyah" while the second offers detailed information about the venues, organization, and awards of these poetry contests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the critical reception and readers' reactions to the Polish edition of Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist (1995). The focus is mainly on the years 1998-2003, when the Brazilian writer and his novel were most popular. The scale of the novel's sales success is presented. The main controversies that it aroused are discussed: the genesis of the work and the degree of originality, the meaning and message of the work, along with the reasons for the emergence of the fashion for Coelho's work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]