AUC Press Author Ibrahim Nasrallah Receives Prestigious Neustadt International Prize

The American University in Cairo (AUC) Press and its literature imprint, Hoopoe, announce that Palestinian novelist and poet Ibrahim Nasrallah has been named the 29th laureate of the Neustadt International Prize for Literature, often referred to as the “American Nobel.” 

His novel, Time of White Horses (Hoopoe, 2016), published in English translation by Hoopoe, has been selected as the representative text for the prize. 

“The AUC Press is proud that author Ibrahim Nasrallah and his novel, published under our Hoopoe literary imprint, have received such distinguished recognition,” said AUC Press Executive Director Thomas Willshire. 

“Time of White Horses” tells a deeply moving story rooted in Palestinian history and identity, exactly the kind of powerful, boundary-crossing narrative that embodies Hoopoe’s mission to bring distinguished voices from the Middle East to readers around the world,” he added.

Hoopoe has brought four of Nasrallah’s novels into English, including Time of White Horses (Hoopoe, 2016), Gaza Weddings (Hoopoe, 2017) and The Lanterns of the King of Galilee (Hoopoe, 2015). 

As stated in the Neustadt Prize’s charter, “Any living author writing in any language is eligible, provided that at least a representative portion of his or her work is available in English—the language used during the jury deliberations.”

The Neustadt Prize is presented biennially by the University of Oklahoma and World Literature Today and recognizes writers of exceptional literary achievement across genres and languages. 

This year’s winner was announced in October 2025, and the next Neustadt Lit Fest, organized by World Literature Today, will be held in the fall of 2026 in honor of Nasrallah.

Nasrallah was nominated for the prize by Shereen Malherbe, an award-winning novelist and children’s book author. In her nominating statement, Malherbe said: “Nasrallah’s literary works span universal issues and themes woven into the Palestinian struggle that allow readers to connect deeply with Palestine outside of a colonial framework. 

His work is now more important than ever, considering the plight of Palestinians. It is time the world sees the true Palestine, and Nasrallah’s work can offer this perspective.”

Nasrallah’s powerful storytelling, exploring exile, identity, and resistance, places him alongside past laureates such as Gabriel García Márquez, Edwidge Danticat, and Tomas Tranströmer.

Nadine El-Hadi, senior acquisitions editor at AUC Press, notes, “Ibrahim Nasrallah is a writer of a generation, and truly deserving of this prize. Never has it been more important to amplify Palestinian voices such as his.”

Born in 1954 to Palestinian parents in a Jordanian refugee camp, Ibrahim Nasrallah has become one of the most important voices in contemporary Arab literature. He has written fourteen poetry collections and fourteen novels, as well as works of literary criticism. His writing has been translated into multiple languages, earning him international acclaim for his exploration of exile, identity, resistance, and the human condition.

The American University in Cairo Press (AUC Press) is the leading English-language academic publisher in the Middle East. Its fiction imprint, Hoopoe, focuses on bringing powerful literary works from the Middle East to readers worldwide. 

Since its launch in 2016, Hoopoe has published numerous award-winning novels, including No Knives in the Kitchens of This City by Khaled Khalifeh (translated by Leri Price), Open Door by Latifa Al-Zayyat (translated by Marilyn Booth), Gold Dust by Ibrahim Al-Koni (translated by Elliott Colla), Granada: The Complete Trilogy by Radwa Ashour (translated by Kay Heikkinen), and most recently Empty Cages by Fatma Qandil (translated by Adam Talib).