Home 5 News 5 North African countries dominate IPAF shortlist

North African countries dominate IPAF shortlist

by | Mar 30, 2021 | News

Maghreb countries dominate the six-strong shortlist for the 14th International Prize for Arabic Fiction (IPAF), with two entries from Tunisian writers and one each from Algeria and Morocco. The list is as follows: The Eye of Hammurabi by Abdulatif Ould Abdullah (Algeria, published by Dar Mim; Notebooks of the Bookshop Keeper by Jalal Bargas (Jordan, published by The Arabic Institute for Research and Publishing); Calamity of the Nobility by Amira Ghenim (Tunisia, published by Dar Mesaa); The Bird Tattoo by Dunya Mikhail (Iraq, published by Dar al-Rafidain); File 42 by Abdelmajid Sebbata (Morocco, published by Al-Markz al-Thaqafi al-Arabi); and Longing for the Woman Next Door by Habib Selmi (Tunisia, pubished by Dar al-Adab).

Each of the six shortlisted authors will receive $10,000, with the winner announced on 25 May receiving an additional $50,000.

The chair of the judges, Lebanese poet Chawi Bazih said: “The most obvious thing revealed by an in-depth examination of the six shortlisted novels is how the authors move away from the limits of the ego and are resourced by their ancestral roots, mother countries and collective memory. Their subjects may not be entirely new, since the Arab present is an exact copy of its past. However, what makes these works unique is something other than their subjects. It is their stylistic richness and power to astonish readers, making them catch their breath; their well-constructed, suspenseful plots; their successful deployment of folklore and the collective imagination, and their deft use of language, both flowing and tight.”

Professor Yasir Suleiman CBE, professor of Modern Arabic Studies at the University of Cambridge and Chair of the Board of Trustees for the prize, said: “The novels in this shortlist enact complex and unsettling conversations between the past and the present to questions notions of belonging, identity and the cacophonous rhythms of the homeland refracted through different registers, characters and story lines. Whether writing from home or from the diaspora, intra-culturally or inter-culturally, our writers coalesce on a vision of the contemporary Arab world which, in spite of its geographic scatter, seems to display troubling philosophical coherence. This is a strong shortlist that readers of the Arabic novel will remember and cherish for a long time.”

In fulfilling its ambition to increase the international reach of Arabic fiction, the prize provides funding for the English translation of its winners.   Last year the prize was won by The Spartan Court by Algerian writer Abdelouahab Aissaoui.

Recent News

18Feb
Ian Chapman to Step Down as S&S UK CEO in May

Ian Chapman to Step Down as S&S UK CEO in May

After 25 years at Simon & Schuster, Ian Chapman, who serves as CEO and publisher of Simon & Schuster UK & International, will depart in May.   Chapman, who became CEO in 2013, has led publishing, editorial, marketing, and sales operations in the UK, Australia and India. His title-marked years were majorly growthy; for 2022 and 2023, Simon […]

18Feb
IPA Condemns Attack on Publisher at Bangladesh Book Fair

IPA Condemns Attack on Publisher at Bangladesh Book Fair

The International Publishers Association (IPA) has condemned an attack on publisher Sabyasachi’s stand at the Amar Ekushey book fair in Dhaka, Bangladesh.  Extremists were protesting at the presence of books by author Taslima Nasrin, the Bangladeshi writer who is known for her work on women’s oppression and criticism of religion.  Some of her books are […]

18Feb
AI and Copyright: Key Takeaways from the AI Action Summit

AI and Copyright: Key Takeaways from the AI Action Summit

Artificial Intelligence (AI) remains the issue of the moment.  The former chief executive of Google, Erich Smidt proposes a balance between government oversight of AI development and over-regulation of the sector.   He told the BBC: “The truth is that AI and the future is largely going to be built by private compaanies.  It’s really […]

Related Posts

IPA Condemns Attack on Publisher at Bangladesh Book Fair

IPA Condemns Attack on Publisher at Bangladesh Book Fair

The International Publishers Association (IPA) has condemned an attack on publisher Sabyasachi's stand at the Amar Ekushey book fair in Dhaka, Bangladesh.  Extremists were protesting at the presence of books by author Taslima Nasrin, the Bangladeshi writer who is...

AI and Copyright: Key Takeaways from the AI Action Summit

AI and Copyright: Key Takeaways from the AI Action Summit

Artificial Intelligence (AI) remains the issue of the moment.  The former chief executive of Google, Erich Smidt proposes a balance between government oversight of AI development and over-regulation of the sector.   He told the BBC: “The truth is that AI and the...

International Interest in Newly Discovered Joan Didion Manuscript

International Interest in Newly Discovered Joan Didion Manuscript

There is strong international interest in a new book by the celebrated American writer and journalist Joan Didion who died in 2021.  Entitled Notes to John, the manuscript was discovered in a portable filing cabinet next to her desk after her death.  The book is a...

Previous Next
Close
Test Caption
Test Description goes like this

Pin It on Pinterest