Omar Taher's "Kohl Wi Habahan" Shortlisted for Naguib Mahfouz Award

Omar Taher's novella "Kohl Wi Habahan" (Kohl and Cardamom) was selected among the shortlisted books for Naguib Mahfouz Medal for Literature on Monday.

The novella is known for its vivid description based on olfactory and gustatory images. Also, it depicts the sense of being haunted between present situations, and past experiences.

"Kohl Wi Habahan" is Taher's first novella and it comes after several successful releases by the author.

Taher is mainly known for his nostalgic autobiographical and his passion for documenting the simplest traditions by Egyptians.

The novella was included on Goodreads' Egypt Top 50 Broweserd Books in 2020 as it was the 29th book on the list.

Another five novels were selected on the shortlisted books for the prize: Algerian  Ahmed Talibaoui's "The Disappearance of Mr. Nobody," Syrian Maha Hassan’s “The Neighborhood of Wonder,” Egyptian Amal Radwan’s “In the Dust Cities,” Yemeni Algarby Omran’s “The fort of Al-Zidi,” and Egyptian Mohamed Ali Ibrahim’s “The Stone in Khallaf’s House.”