Dubai: An evening will be dedicated to the acclaimed 11th century poet Ghayath Al Deen Abu Al Fateh Omar Ebrahim Al Khayyam, widely known as Omar Khayyam, on March 5 at the House of Poetry in Al Shindagha, announced Dubai International Poetry Festival 2009, an initiative by the Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation.

An exclusive exhibition of Mohammad Saleh Al Gurg's book - ‘Translating Al Khayyam's Quartets' - will serve as the highlight of the evening.

Al Gurg's book is a sophisticated literary production that comprehensively tracks the translated versions of Khayyam's Quartets (the Rubaiyat) in English by Edward Fitzgerald, and in Arabic by the great Egyptian poet Ahmad Rami. A book signing ceremony will follow the poetry appreciation session that will see Al Gurg personally initialing his exhaustive work of nine years.

The Dubai International Poetry Festival (DIPF) 2009 will be held from March 4 to 10 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre. It will host a series of activities ranging from poetry recitals, literary exhibitions, and cultural activities across select venues in Dubai.