The 13th International Prize for Arabic Fiction (IPAF) has announced its shortlist for 2020, which features six work by Algerian, Egyptian, Iraqi, Lebanese, and Syrian authors.
The IPAF judging panel announced Tuesday the shortlist of the works nominated for the award during a press conference held in the "Museum of Water Civilization", in Marrakech.
This year’s six shortlisted novels, which includes five males and one female author, have been selected out of the 16 novels that entered the longlist, which was published between June 2018 and July 2019.
The authors are set to receive $10,000, with the winner receiving an additional $50,000, who will be named at a ceremony at the Ritz Carlton in Abu Dhabi on 14 April, on the eve of the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair.
Last year’s winner was The Night Mail by Hoda Barakat.
The shortlist is as follows: -
- Youssef Ziedan, Fardeqan - Egypt
- Said Khatibi, Firewood of Sarajevo - Algeria
- Abdelouahab Aissaoui, The Spartan Court - Algeria
- Jabbour Douaihy, The King of India - Lebanon
- Khalil Alrez, The Russian Quarter - Syria
- Alia Mamdouh, The Tank - Iraq
The Chairman of the Prize Board of Trustees, Yasser Suleiman, said, "This edition's six shortlisted novels offer six narratives a superior collection of texts varied in style and subject matter."
Meet, the authors of the six shortlisted novels:
Youssef Ziedan is an Egyptian scholar who specializes in Arabic and Islamic studies. He is a university professor, public lecturer, columnist, and who wrote more than 50 books.
Said Khatibi is an Algerian novelist who has worked in journalism since 2006. He has published works including “The Orbit of Absence”, and “Flaming Gardens of the East”.
Abdelouahab Aissaoui is an Algerian novelist. His first novel “Jacob’s Cinema” was published in 2013, which came first in the "novel category" of the President of the Republic Prize.
Jabbour Douaihy is a Lebanese author. He has published seven works of fiction, including novels, short stories, and children’s books.
Khalil Alrez is a Syrian novelist and translator. He has published one play and nine novels, including “A White Cloud in the Window of the Grandmother” in 1998.
Alia Mamdouh is an Iraqi writer, novelist and a University professor. Her most famous novel is “Naphtalene”, which has been translated into 9 languages.
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