Head of the jury for this year’s International Prize for Arabic Fiction (IPAF) Mourid Barghouti has shed some light into his judging process.
Speaking in his session as part of the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature on Wednesday, the 70-year-old Palestinian looks for brevity and accuracy when reading new works.
“When I write, I am like a surgeon,” he said.
“You should be accurate when you write. There is no point saying the night was very dark. It is dark, that is enough. There is no use for exaggeration when writing.”
The IPAF will be awarded on May 6 on the eve of the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair.
The Emirates Airline Festival of Literature continues until on Saturday May 7. For details visit www.emirateslitfest.com
[ sasaeed@thenational.ae ]
