The prize, which aims at rewarding excellence in Arabic creative writing, was launched in Abu Dhabi in 2007. Apart the $10,000 that awarded to each finalist, and the $50,000 awarded to the winner, the prize also supports translation.

For the third time, the Lebanese novelist Jabbour Douaihy is on the long list of the International Prize for Arabic Fiction. This time, it’s for his novel “American Neighborhood”, published at Dar al Saqi. Another of Dar al Saqi’s titles is long-listed: The Daughter of Suslov, bu Yemeni novelist Habib Abdulrab Sarori.
 
 
 

“We should look to ourselves as part of the world, a lot of efforts should be made to make the Arabic novel able to compete with world literature, and this could happen through translation, world prizes and many other things.”

Khalifa has a belief that this will not occur through one person’s effort or success: “I’m telling you we will not make it as individuals, but as a culture.”

For the second time, a novel by Khaled Khalifa is on the shortlist of the International Prize for Arabic Fiction (IPAF), also known as the Arab Man Booker. “There are no knives” is co-published by Dar El Ain, Egypt, and Dar Al Adab, Lebanon. In 2008, Khalifa’s “In praise of hatred” was also shortlisted for the IPAF.

The International Prize for Arabic Fiction (also known as Arab Man Booker) has announced its long list yesterday, Tuesday January 7th. The long list can be found below, and details on each book are on the IPAF‘s website.

Mohammad Hasan Alwan’s book Beavers is shortlisted for the International Prize of Arabic Fiction, also known as the Arab Booker!