This is a bit slow in coming, but I’m working on an article for Driftless about reading culture and the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, and I remembered that last year around this time I posted about the shortlist and winner for the Booker-sponsored International Prize for Arabic Fiction. So I thought I’d post the shortlist and winner from this year. For more on fiction and reading in the Middle East, keep an eye out for my article in Driftless (I’ll post an update when the article appears online).
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Muhammad Al-Mansi Qindeel (Egyptian), for A Cloudy Day on the West Side |
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Mansoura Ez Eldin (Egyptian), for Beyond Paradise |
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Rabee Jabir (Lebanese), for America |
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Abdo Khal (Saudi Arabian), for She Throws Sparks |
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Raba’i Madhoun (Palestinian), for The Lady from Tel Aviv |
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Jamal Naji (Jordanian), for When the Wolves Grow Old |
Last year I picked up a small anthology of excerpts from each of the shortlisted novels; the excerpts were the first translations into English for each book, but full-length translations are in the works. I read the excerpts and found them fantastic, and I look forward to picking up the books when they become available. I have not yet found a similar collection of excerpts for this year’s shortlist, but I’ll keep my eyes open. Even if it’s not available, the translations are forthcoming, so if you don’t read Arabic, look for the translations soon.
* The author images I’ve included here come from a post in the blog The Tanjara, by Susannah Tarbush, regarding the IPAF. Tarbush, in turn, culled them from various author sites and interviews, but I thought I’d give her shout-out and thank her for doing my legwork for me.
Samuel Snoek-Brown 
The book of excerpts went out to subscribers of the National and another publication; I forget which. If you need them to write your piece, surely you can get them. Marcia.
Thanks, Marcia! I figured it was out there and I’d just missed my copy, but this a good idea for tracking one down–I’ll contact the National.