The International Prize for Arabic Fiction has announced the shortlist for its 16th event, which includes Saudi author Fatima Abdulhamid, whose book The Highest Part of the Horizon was published by Masciliana in the UAE.
The writers represent a diverse selection, with three men and three women from six countries selected. Each will receive $10,000, with the winner being awarded an additional $50,000 at a ceremony in Abu Dhabi on May 21.
The other shortlisted works are Drought by Algerian writer Al-Sadiq Haj Ahmed, The Exile of the Water Diviner by Omani Zahran Alqasmi, Concerto Qurina Eduardo by Libyan Najwa Binshatwan, The Stone of Happiness by Iraqi Azher Jirjees and Days of the Shining Sun by Egyptian Miral al-Tahawy.
The panel of judges includes Moroccan writer Mohammed Achaari, Egyptian novelist Reem Bassiouney, Algerian journalist Fadhila El Farouk, Swedish translator Tetz Rooke and Omani academic Aziza al-Ta’I.
Achaari, who is chairman of the judging committee, said the selection of novels was “vibrant and varied”.
“The judges feel that through this multiplicity of voices and idioms, with contrasting styles, structure and narrative forms, the broad sweep which these stories comprise offers a dynamic snapshot of the contemporary Arabic novel,” he added.
“The Stone of Happiness shines a light on how children and the weak bear the burden of society disintegrating after war and sectarian struggles.
“The Exile of the Water Diviner focuses on water and its symbolism in the collective memory. Days of the Shining Sun explores migration and upheaval, through people trapped between the hardships of their places of origin and the violence of their places of exile.
“Concerto Qurina Eduardo is an intimate portrait of human struggle in the face of injustice and political despotism, where the hell of the present seems only to signal a hellish future. The Highest Part of the Heavens charts the terrors of death, and of love, and their constant intersections.
“Finally, Drought transports us to the world of the Sahara between southern Algeria and northern Mali, where drought, famine and tribalism mirror the brutal and fragile nature of the desert.”
Meanwhile, Yasir Suleiman, chairman of Ipaf’s Board of Trustees, said: “The shortlisted novels excavate the themes of marginality, alienation and dispersal in Arab life from different vantage points, interweaving them with nostalgia for the past in some cases, and the brutality of a failed political and social order in others.
“Exhibiting the ethnic richness and cultural diversity of Arab social life, the novels unfold in equally varied settings that amplify this range. The emergence of new voices and a strong gender mix are striking features of this list.”
