With contenders from Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Syria, Yemen and Norway, the 2019 Sheikh Zayed Book Award long list for the Literature category is announced, with ten novels, two poetry collections and a memoir forming the line-up.

Here’s the longlist:
 

  1. Novel: Esmy Fatima (My Name is Fatima) by Egyptian writer Amro Al Adly (2017)
  2. Novel: Al Yad Al Dafe’a (The Warm Hand) by Palestinian writer Yahya Yakhlif (2017)
  3. Novel: Terter (The Sequin Embroidery) by Iraqi novelist Nizar Abdelsattar (2018)
  4. Novel: Ard Al Mo’amarat Al Sa’eeda (Land of Happy Plots) by Yemeni author Wajdi Al-Ahdal (2018)
  5. Novel: Share’ Salem (Salem Street) by Norwegian author Nizar Agri (2017)
  6. Novel: Al Warda Al Qatela (The Deadly Rose) by Saudi author Ibrahim Shehbi (2018)
  7. Novel: Ghawaso Al Ahqaf (Divers of the Empty Quarter) by Saudi novelist Amal Al Faran (2016)
  8. Novel: Bareed Al Lail (Night Post) by Lebanese novelist Hoda Barakat (2018)
  9. Novel: E’mt Sabahan Ayatoha al Harb (Good Morning War) by Syrian/French novelist Maha Hasan (2017)
  10. Novel: Al Nabeetha (The Castaway), by Iraqi author Inaam Kachachi (2017)
  11. Poetry:  Korsy Ala Al Zabd (A Chair on the Sea Foam) by Lebanese author Mohammed Ali Chamseddine (2018)
  12. Poetry: La Arany (I Don’t See Me) by Egyptian author Ahmed Al Shahawi (2018)
  13. Memoir: Al That Bayn Al Wujood Wal Eijad (The Self: Between Existence and Creation), by Moroccan novelist Bensalem Himmich (2018)

Via ArabLit.
Founded in 2007, the award commemorates the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, founding president of the United Arab Emirates. Worth AED 7 million (almost $2 million) the awards are,

presented annually to outstanding writers, intellectuals, and publishers, as well as young talent whose writing and translation in humanities objectively enriches Arab intellectual, cultural, literary and social life.

The ‘Literature’ and ‘Young Author’ categories received the highest number of submissions for the sixth year in a row with 382 and 365 nominations respectively.
Announcements for the other categories in this award will be announced shortly.

  • Children’s Literature Award
  • Young Author Award
  • Cultural Personality of the Year Award
  • Publishing and Technology Award
  • Arabic Culture in Other Languages Award
  • Translation Award
  • Literary and Art Criticism Award

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