Nourhan Maher
The shortlisted titles nominated for the International Prize for Arabic Fiction (IPAF) 2018, also known as the Arabic Booker Prize, have been announced in Amman, Jordan.
The list, which was announced by Dr. Ibrahim Al Saafin, Chairperson of the Judging Panel, features six novels that were published between July 2016 and June 2017, including: ‘Baghdad Clock’, written by Iraqi novelist Shahad Al Rawi and published by Dar al-Hikma, London; ‘Flowers in Flames’, written by Sudanese author Amir Tag Elsir and published by Dar Al Saqi; and ‘Heir of the Tombstones’, written by Palestinian novelist Walid Shurafa and published by Al Ahlia.
The list also includes: ‘The Critical Case of K’, written by Saudi novelist Aziz Mohammed and published by Dar Tanweer – Beirut; ‘The Second War of the Dog’, written by Palestinian novelist Ibrahim Nasrallah and published by the Arab Scientific Publishers; and ‘The Frightened Ones’, written by Syrian author Dima Wannous and published by Dar al-Adab.
The announcement was made at a press conference hosted by the Abdul Hameed Shoman Foundation in the presence of three jury members, Dr. Ibrahim Al Saafin, Barbara Skubic and Mahmoud Shukair.