President Announces Initiative To Support Dhivehi Authors and Children’s Cultural Films

The government has announced new initiatives to support the publication of books by Dhivehi authors and to promote children’s short films focused on language, culture, history and heritage, beginning next year.

The announcement was made by President Dr Mohamed Muizzu during an award ceremony for the National Literary Competitions held at Salahuddin School on Friday evening. 

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According to the President, the government plans to introduce special arrangements to address difficulties faced by Dhivehi authors, particularly those seeking to publish children’s books. He said many writers encounter barriers to publication, which he described as a broader concern for the preservation and transmission of the Dhivehi language.

He also said the government intends to launch a national competition next year to produce children’s short films centred on language, culture, history and heritage. The initiative aims to respond to concerns about the limited availability of locally produced children’s content reflecting Maldivian identity. Substantial prizes will be offered to encourage participation.

In addition, the President announced that the Dhivehi Thaana Handwriting Competition will be organised at a national level from next year. He noted that the competition had not previously been conducted as a National Handwriting Competition for the President’s Prize.

During the ceremony, President Muizzu presented awards to first-place winners of this year’s National Literary Competitions, while First Lady Sajidha Mohamed presented prizes to second-place winners.

The event marked the first time the National Literary Competitions award ceremony, organised by the Dhivehi Language Academy, was held at a national level. Cabinet ministers and senior officials from the academy also attended the ceremony.