Six Authors Shortlisted for Arabic Fiction Prize

by Jarrett Martineau | January 29, 2008 at 03:24 pm | 1252 views | add comment

At a time when much negative political attention has been centred on the Arab world, it is encouraging to see the establishment of the International Prize for Arabic Fiction, an award that will bring much-deserving recognition, and international attention, to the work of Arabic writers. The inaugural winner will be announced on March 10th.

Six authors from Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Egypt are on the shortlist as finalists for the first-ever International Prize for Arabic Fiction.

The shortlisted books, chosen from 131 entries, are "June Rain," by Lebanese writer Jabbour Douaihy; "The Land of Purgatory" by Jordan's Elias Farkouh; "In Praise of Hate," by Syria's Khaled Khalifa; "Walking in the Dust," by Lebanon's May Menassa; "Swan Song," by Egypt's Mekkaoui Said; and "Sunset Oasis," by Baha Taher, also from Egypt.

Each of the finalists receives $10,000; the winner gets an additional $50,000.

The winner will be announced March 10 at a ceremony in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

The award, backed by the Emirates Foundation, is intended as an Arabic counterpart to the prestigious Man Booker Prize, open to writers from Britain, Ireland and the Commonwealth of former British colonies.