Competition Winners (2026)

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Competition Winners (2026)

The Anthropology Day Lebanon 2026 Unessay Competition was launched on February 19, 2026, World Anthropology Day. Over the course of three months, students from public and private schools across Lebanon, from Beirut, Mount Lebanon, Saida, Hasbaya, Arab Salim, Rashaya, and beyond, submitted creative projects in various media, including film, photographic series, artwork, collage, magazine, poetry, and more, to anthropologically capture diverse neighborhoods across the country. The Anthropology Day Lebanon 2026 Unessay Competition stopped accepting submissions in April 2026, after which the jury deliberated from mid-April to mid-May.

The jury consisted of:

Dr. Elizabeth Matta Saleh, Assistant Professor of Anthropology, AUB

Samar Ghanem, Instructor of Anthropology, AUB

Arev Papazian, PhD Candidate in Sociology & Social Anthropology, Central European University

On May 14, 2026, 25 shortlisted projects were announced, and 26 students were invited to visit the AUB campus and exhibit their work on May 22, 2026, when the six main winners were announced during the Anthropology Day ceremony. The winners received vouchers from Antoine Bookstore valued at 200 USD (1^st prize), 150 USD (2^nd prize), 100 USD (3^rd prize), and 50 USD (for each of the 4^th, 5^th & 6^th prizes).

Below you can find the winning projects:

1^st place winner:

Thalia Al Khatib, "Smooth Sailing", acrylic painting on canvas

Wellspring Learning Community, Beirut

2^nd place winner:

Saad Nsouli, "Shbbek Mn Z2a2 El Blat," short film

Al Hayat International School, Aramoun

3^rd place winner:

Mia Accad, "The Semiotics of War," short film

Collège Protestant Français, Beirut

4^th place winner:

Ghina Slika, "A Day in Fardees," short film

Irfan High School, Hasbaya

5^th place winner:

Hussein Abo Hachem, "Arab Salim, the bride of the region and guardian of the mills," short film

Arab Salim Secondary Public School

Check Full Playlist →

6^th place winner:

Ghazal Sabek, "A Nostalgic Place," poetry

Hasbaya Public High School, Hasbaya

Read "A Nostalgic Place" by Ghazal Sabek (PDF)

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