2021 International Prize for Arabic Fiction on 25 May 2021

Shortlist of the Arabic fiction prize 2021

By
Naresh Khanna
-
153
Shortlist of International Prize for Arabic Fiction 2021
Longlist of the International Prize for Arabic Fiction 2021

The winner of the International Prize for Arabic Fiction 2021 will be announced at an online event on Tuesday 25th May from 10 am (BST) / 1 pm (GST). The event will celebrate the impact of the prize and feature contributions from the IPAF chair of Trustees Yasir Suleiman, administrator Fleur Montanaro and this year’s chair of Judges Chawki Bazih. The event will be streamed on IPAF’s Facebook and YouTube channels. The Abu Dhabi Book Fair takes place from 23 to 29 May 2021.

The event will be followed by a press conference with the 2021 winner from 10.45 am (BST)/1.45 pm (GST) on Zoom in English and Arabic.

The 2021 shortlist of Arabic Fiction, with author names in alphabetical order, is as follows:

Author: Abdulatif Ould Abdullah
Title: The Eye of Hammurabi
Country of origin Algeria
Publisher Dar Mim

The Eye of Hammurabi by Abdulatif Ould Abdullah
The Eye of Hammurabi by Abdulatif Ould Abdullah

Jalal Barjas
Notebooks of the Bookseller
Jordan
The Arabic Institute for Research and Publishing

Notebooks of the Bookseller by Jalal Bargas
Notebooks of the Bookseller by Jalal Bargas

Amira Ghenim
Calamity of the Nobility
Tunisia
Dar Mesaa

Calamity of the Nobility by Amira Ghenim
Calamity of the Nobility by Amira Ghenim

Dunya Mikhail
The Bird Tattoo
Iraq
Dar al-Rafidain

The Bird Tattoo by Dunya Mikhail
The Bird Tattoo by Dunya Mikhail

Abdelmajid Sebbata
File 42
Morocco
Al-Markez al-Thaqafi al-Arabi

File 42 by Abdelmajid Sebbata
File 42 by Abdelmajid Sebbata

Habib Selmi
Longing for the Woman Next Door
Tunisia
Dar al-Adab

Longing for the Woman Next Door by Habib Selmi
Longing for the Woman Next Door by Habib Selmi

To celebrate this year’s shortlist, several online events and shortlist activities will take place. Before the winner announcement, the 2021 Judges will present this year’s shortlist. In the lead-up to this year’s winner announcement, the 2021 judging panel will present a series of short discussions celebrating the 2021 shortlist. The series will be hosted by Moroccan writer, broadcaster, and Prize Trustee Yassin Adnan.

Videos discussing novels by Jalal Bargas, Habib Selmi, and Abdelmajid Sebbata are available on the IPAF YouTube channel. The remaining schedule is as follows: Tue 18 May, 3 pm (BST) / 6 pm (GST) – Chawki Bazih presents The Eye of Hammurabi by Abdulatif Ould Abdullah.

Wed 19 May, 3 pm (BST) / 6 pm (GST) – Ali Al-Muqri presents The Calamity of the Nobility by Amira Ghenim.

Thu 20 May, 3 pm (BST) / 6 pm (GST) – Safa Jubran presents The Bird Tattoo by Dunya Mikhail.

Excerpts from this year’s six shortlisted novels will be available to read on the IPAF website in Arabic and English before the winner announcement.

After the winner announcement on Thursday 27 May, Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, 3 pm (BST) / 6 pm (GST) IPAF: Honouring the 2021 winner and shortlisted authors. To celebrate the 2021 winner and shortlisted authors, Bilal Orfali will interview Abdelmajid Sebbata, Abdulatif Ould Abdullah, Dunya Mikhail, Habib Selmi, Jalal Barjas, and Amira Ghenim. They will discuss their journey, from idea to finished book.

The 2021 judging panel will choose this year’s winner from the shortlist of six novels, all published in Arabic between 1st July 2019 and 31st August 2020. Chawki Bazih chairs the judging panel. Judging alongside him are Mohammed Ait Hanna, Safa Jubran, Ali Al-Muqri, and Ayesha Sultan.

The International Prize for Arabic Fiction is an annual literary prize for novels in Arabic. It is currently sponsored by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre, under the umbrella of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi. It has been mentored by the Booker Prize Foundation in London.

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The fragmented commercial printing industry faces substantial challenges as does the newspaper industry. While digital short-run printing and the signage industry seem to be recovering a bit faster, ultimately their growth will also be moderated by the progress of the overall economy. On the other hand book printing exports are doing well but they too face several supply-chain and logistics challenges.

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Ultimately digital print and other digital channels will help print grow in a country where we are still far behind in our paper and print consumption and where digital is a leapfrog technology that will only increase the demand for print in the foreseeable future. For instance, there is no alternative to a rise in textbook consumption but this segment will only reach normality in the next financial year beginning on 1 April 2023.

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Our 2023 media kit is ready, and it is the right time to take stock and reconnect with your potential markets and customers. Print is the glue for the growth of liberal education, new industry, and an emerging economy. We seek your participation in what promises to be an interesting ride.

– Naresh Khanna

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