International Prize for Arabic Fiction 2015 Announced Today

The International Prize for Arabic Fiction (IPAF) has today revealed the longlist of 16 novels now a step closer to winning the 2015 prize. Those selected were chosen from 180 entries from 15 countries, all published within the last 12 months.

The 2015 longlisted authors come from nine different countries, with the highest numbers from Lebanon and Egypt, with three authors apiece.

Five women appear on the longlist, the highest number so far. 11 women in total have been longlisted for the Prize since its inauguration in 2009.

The full 2015 longlist is as follows:

'A Suspended Life', Atef Abu Saif, Palestine, Al-Ahlia

'Far from Clamour, Close to Silence', Mohammed Berrada, Morocco, Le Fennec

'Drowning in Lake Morez', Antoine Douaihy, Lebanon, Dar al-Mourad

'The American Neighbourhood', Jabbour Douaihy, Lebanon,Saqi Books

'Floor 99', Jana Elhassan, Lebanon, Difaf Publications

'Diamonds and Women', Lina Huyan Elhassan, Syria, Dar al-Adab

'Don't Tell Your Nightmare!', Abdel Wahab al-Hamadi, Kuwait,Al-Markez al-Thaqafi al-Arabi

'Female Voices' Maha Hassan, Syria, Dar Tanweer, Lebanon

'Riyam and Kafa', Hadia Hussein, Iraq, Arab Institute for Research and Publishing

'Sharp Turning', Ashraf al-Khamaisi, Egypt, Al-Dar al-Masriya al-Lubnaniya

'Graphite', Hisham al-Khashin, Egypt, Maktabat al-Dar al-Arabiyya lil Kitab

'The Italian', Shukri al-Mabkhout, Tunisia, Dar Tanweer, Tunis

'Willow Alley', Ahmed al-Madeeni, Morocco, Al-Markez al-Thaqafi al-Arabi

'The Daughter of Suslov', Habib Abdulrab Sarori, Yemen, Saqi Books

'The Size of a Grape', Muna al-Sheemi, Egypt, Al-Hadara

'The Longing of the Dervish', Hamour Ziada, Sudan, Dar al-Ain

The shortlist will be announced on Friday Feb.13, 2015 at the Casablanca International Book Fair. Now in its 8th year, the IPAF is recognised as the leading prize for literary fiction in the Arab world. The winner of the International Prize for Arabic Fiction 2015 will be announced at an awards ceremony in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday 6 May, the eve of the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair. The six shortlisted finalists will receive $10,000, with a further $50,000 going to the winner.


Delivering on its aim to increase the international reach of Arabic fiction, the Prize has guaranteed English translations for all of its winners: Bahaa Taher (2008), Youssef Ziedan (2009), Abdo Khal (2010), joint winners Mohammed Achaari and Raja Alem (2011), Rabee Jaber (2012), Saud Alsanousi (2013) and Ahmed Saadawi (2014).

Taher’s 'Sunset Oasis' was translated into English by Sceptre (an imprint of Hodder & Stoughton) in 2009 and has gone on to be translated into at least eight languages worldwide. Ziedan’s 'Azazeel' was published in the UK by Atlantic Books in April 2012, while 2013 saw the publication of Spanish translations of Baha Taher's 'Sunset Oasis' (El Oasis) and Rabee Jaber's 'The Druze of Belgrade' (Los Drusos de Belgrado) by Madrid-based publisher Turner. More recently, English translations of Abdo Khal and Mohammed Achaari’s winning novels both appeared on bookshop shelves in 2014, published by the Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation. Both Raja Alem’s novel, 'The Dove’s Necklace' (Duckworth, March), and Saud Alsanousi’s 'The Bamboo Stalk' (Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation Publishing, June) will be published in the UK this year. 

It has also just been announced that the 2014 winner, 'Frankenstein in Baghdad' by Ahmed Saadawi, has secured English publication with Oneworld in the UK and Penguin Books in the US. It is set to be published in Autumn 2016, translated into English by Jonathan Wright.

Article Source: http://www.arabfiction.org