Long list of 2021 International Prize for Arabic Fiction [Booker Award] announced

CAIRO – 1 March 2021: The International Prize for Arabic Fiction [Booker Awards] announced the short list on March 29 from among the novels included in the long list. On May 25, 2021, the award-winning novel of the 14th edition will be announced.

It is worth noting that the jury is headed by the Lebanese poet Shawky Bzeih, and the prize value is $50,000.

The long list, announced earlier by the jury, included 16 novels released between July 1, 2019, and August 2020, and chosen from among 121 novels that applied for the award.

Writers from 11 countries aged between 31 and 75 years, reached the award's long list. The novels deal with issues related to the realities of the Arab world today, from the suffering of Iraq and the spread of extremist groups, to the status of women in the Arab world.

The award aims to promote the Arabic novel on the international level, as the award funds the translation of winning works into English.

The year 2020 witnessed the release of English translations of a number of novels that reached long and short lists.

The year 2021 will witness the release of three novels that have been shortlisted for the award by Interlink Publishing House.