Algeria’s High Commission for Amazigh has begun coordinating the national programme for Yennayer 2977, the Amazigh New Year, with Tlemcen set to host the celebrations and the seventh edition of the President of the Republic Prize for Amazigh Literature and Language.
Si El Hachemi Assad, secretary-general of the High Commission for Amazighity, chaired a coordination meeting in Tlemcen on 15 October to present the main outlines of the programme, according to Algeria Press Service (APS).
The meeting signals the start of institutional preparations for the next national observance of Yennayer. APS did not publish a detailed timetable, a list of participants or the categories and rules for the prize in its initial report. Those elements will be important to watch as organisers release the full programme.
Yennayer is observed across North Africa and the wider Amazigh diaspora, with communities marking the new year through family gatherings, food, music and cultural events. In Algeria, it has been a paid public holiday since 2018.
The planned Tlemcen programme links the national celebration with the presidential prize, which recognises work connected to Amazigh literature and language. The High Commission has not yet announced the award schedule or submission arrangements for the seventh edition.