MUHAMMAD AL-MANSI QINDEEL, MANSOURA EZ ELDIN, RABEE JABIR, ABDO KHAL, RABA’I MADHOUN and JAMAL NAJI are named as the six finalists shortlisted for the International Prize for Arabic Fiction 2010 (IPAF), the prestigious literary award celebrating the very best of contemporary Arabic fiction.
The shortlist of finalists was announced by Taleb Alrefai, Chair of Judges for the 2010 prize, at a press conference at the Beirut International Book Fair in Lebanon.
The six books, selected from a longlist of 16, are (in alphabetical order):
Al-Mansi Qindeel, Muhammad
A Cloudy Day on the West Side
Dar Al-Shorouk
Egyptian
Ez Eldin, Mansoura
Beyond Paradise
Dar Al-Ain
Egyptian
Jabir, Rabee
America
Al-Markaz al-Thaqafi al-Arabi (Arab Cultural Centre)
Lebanese
Khal, Abdo
She Throws Sparks
Al-Jamal Publications
Saudi Arabian
Madhoun, Raba'i
The Lady from Tel Aviv
Arab Institute for Publishing and Studies
Palestinian
Naji, Jamal
When the Wolves Grow Old
Ministry of Culture Publications
Jordanian
Chair of Judges Taleb Alrefai commented on the shortlist of finalists: "A democratic, objective discussion was held, the most important target of which was to reach a list approved by the judging panel. The selected books represent the opinion of the panel, with due respect to and appreciation of all the longlisted novels."
The panel of four judges were also revealed today. All specialists in the field of Arabic literature, they come from Kuwait, Tunisia, France and Oman. They are: Taleb Alrefai (Chair of Judges), Kuwaiti novelist and short story writer; Raja’ Ben Salamah, Tunisian lecturer from the Faculty of Letters, Arts and Humanities at Manouba University, Tunisia; Frédéric LaGrange, French academic, translator and Head of the Arabic and Hebraic Department at the Paris-Sorbonne (Paris IV); Saif al-Rahbi, Omani writer and poet.
The prestigious literary prize, now in its third year, aims to recognise and reward excellence in contemporary Arabic creative writing and to encourage wider readership of such Arabic literature internationally through translation. It is run with the support of the Emirates Foundation and the Booker Prize Foundation.
At today's press conference Jonathan Taylor, Chair of the Board of Trustees, said: "IPAF is increasingly regarded as the leading prize in the Arab literary world. Its impact is indisputable, with its winners and shortlisted writers recognised as some of the most significant voices in contemporary Arabic literature – many of whom are now available to a wider world in translation thanks to the prize."
Salwa Mikdadi, Head of the Arts and Culture Programme at the Emirates Foundation, added: "The Foundation is proud of its association with this increasingly influential prize. In three short years, the intellectual strength and operational independence of both the board of trustees and the judging panels have made it into the major fiction prize in the Arab World."
The 2010 prize received 115 eligible submissions from 17 Arab countries - Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, Iraq, UAE, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Bahrain, Oman, Morocco, Libya, Sudan, Tunisia and Algeria – and the longlist of 16 titles was announced this November.
Joumana Haddad, the Prize Administrator, commented: "We are proud that the IPAF is contributing in increasing the interest in contemporary Arabic literature, whether reading or translating wise. No other Arab literary prize has ever enjoyed this much attention and influence, which proves that the IPAF came to fill an urgent need in our cultural life".
The shortlisted finalists for the prize will each receive $10,000, with the winner receiving an additional $50,000. They can look forward to reaching wider audiences and potentially securing publishing deals – both within the Arab World and internationally. The previous two winners for the prize – Bahaa Taher (Sunset Oasis) and Youssef Ziedan (Azazel) – have not only secured English publications of their novels in the UK, through Sceptre (Hodder & Stoughton) and Atlantic Books respectively, but also a number of international deals as a result of the prize.
The winner of the International Prize for Arabic Fiction 2010 will be announced at an awards ceremony in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday 2 March 2010, the first day of the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair.
(More information HERE.)
The shortlist of finalists was announced by Taleb Alrefai, Chair of Judges for the 2010 prize, at a press conference at the Beirut International Book Fair in Lebanon.
The six books, selected from a longlist of 16, are (in alphabetical order):
Al-Mansi Qindeel, Muhammad
A Cloudy Day on the West Side
Dar Al-Shorouk
Egyptian
Ez Eldin, Mansoura
Beyond Paradise
Dar Al-Ain
Egyptian
Jabir, Rabee
America
Al-Markaz al-Thaqafi al-Arabi (Arab Cultural Centre)
Lebanese
Khal, Abdo
She Throws Sparks
Al-Jamal Publications
Saudi Arabian
Madhoun, Raba'i
The Lady from Tel Aviv
Arab Institute for Publishing and Studies
Palestinian
Naji, Jamal
When the Wolves Grow Old
Ministry of Culture Publications
Jordanian
Chair of Judges Taleb Alrefai commented on the shortlist of finalists: "A democratic, objective discussion was held, the most important target of which was to reach a list approved by the judging panel. The selected books represent the opinion of the panel, with due respect to and appreciation of all the longlisted novels."
The panel of four judges were also revealed today. All specialists in the field of Arabic literature, they come from Kuwait, Tunisia, France and Oman. They are: Taleb Alrefai (Chair of Judges), Kuwaiti novelist and short story writer; Raja’ Ben Salamah, Tunisian lecturer from the Faculty of Letters, Arts and Humanities at Manouba University, Tunisia; Frédéric LaGrange, French academic, translator and Head of the Arabic and Hebraic Department at the Paris-Sorbonne (Paris IV); Saif al-Rahbi, Omani writer and poet.
The prestigious literary prize, now in its third year, aims to recognise and reward excellence in contemporary Arabic creative writing and to encourage wider readership of such Arabic literature internationally through translation. It is run with the support of the Emirates Foundation and the Booker Prize Foundation.
At today's press conference Jonathan Taylor, Chair of the Board of Trustees, said: "IPAF is increasingly regarded as the leading prize in the Arab literary world. Its impact is indisputable, with its winners and shortlisted writers recognised as some of the most significant voices in contemporary Arabic literature – many of whom are now available to a wider world in translation thanks to the prize."
Salwa Mikdadi, Head of the Arts and Culture Programme at the Emirates Foundation, added: "The Foundation is proud of its association with this increasingly influential prize. In three short years, the intellectual strength and operational independence of both the board of trustees and the judging panels have made it into the major fiction prize in the Arab World."
The 2010 prize received 115 eligible submissions from 17 Arab countries - Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, Iraq, UAE, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Bahrain, Oman, Morocco, Libya, Sudan, Tunisia and Algeria – and the longlist of 16 titles was announced this November.
Joumana Haddad, the Prize Administrator, commented: "We are proud that the IPAF is contributing in increasing the interest in contemporary Arabic literature, whether reading or translating wise. No other Arab literary prize has ever enjoyed this much attention and influence, which proves that the IPAF came to fill an urgent need in our cultural life".
The shortlisted finalists for the prize will each receive $10,000, with the winner receiving an additional $50,000. They can look forward to reaching wider audiences and potentially securing publishing deals – both within the Arab World and internationally. The previous two winners for the prize – Bahaa Taher (Sunset Oasis) and Youssef Ziedan (Azazel) – have not only secured English publications of their novels in the UK, through Sceptre (Hodder & Stoughton) and Atlantic Books respectively, but also a number of international deals as a result of the prize.
The winner of the International Prize for Arabic Fiction 2010 will be announced at an awards ceremony in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday 2 March 2010, the first day of the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair.
(More information HERE.)
