The International Prize for Arabic Fiction revealed the novels nominated for the long list in its 2020 session, which includes 16 novels issued during the period between July 2018 to June 2019, and was chosen from among 128 novels submitted for the award.
Three long writers and 13 writers, aged between 34 and 75, from nine countries have reached the long list, and the novels address issues affecting the Arab world today, as well as highlighting the history of the Arab region and its rich heritage, from Libya in the pre-Pharaohs era, and Central Asia in The Middle Age, Egypt in the 19th century, and Syria at the beginning of the twentieth century and sixties, up to the last years in Iraq and Algeria. The novels depict the fate of entire cities, such as Aleppo, Algiers, and Rabat, as well as the fate of individuals trying to live in the midst of war and ruin.
The prize list, which amounts to $ 50,000, included the stories of Libyan Aisha Ibrahim, Aisha Ibrahim, “Rabat Al-Mutanabi” by Moroccan Hassan Oored, “Firewood of Sarajevo” by Algerian Saeed Khatibi, and “The Spartan Diwan” by Algerian Abdelwahab Issawi and “ Trollar ladders for the Algerian, Samir Qassimi, the “mixing of seasons” for the Algerian Bashir Mofti, the “gold bath” for the Tunisian Mohamed Issa Al-Medad, and “what about the Jewish lady Rachel?” For the Syrian Salim Barakat, and “sleeping in the cherry field” of the Iraqi Azhar Zarzis, And “no one prayed for them” for the Syrian Khaled Khalifa, the “King of India” for the Lebanese Jabour Al-Duwaihi, the “Russian Quarter” for the Syrian Khalil Al-Raz, and “the last a Um Al Basha »for Egyptian Rasha Adli, and travel« Barlek »acceptable to Saudi upper and« Altanki »of Iraqi high Mamdouh, and« Ferdqan »of the Egyptian Youssef Zeidan.
For his part, the head of the jury, Iraqi critic Mohsen Jasim al-Musawi, said: “The long list's narratives varied in their content, and they covered war, peace, history, issues of marginalized groups and minorities, and the relationship with the other. The novels also take care of the individual and human crisis, and take care of narrative experimentation and its problems, and the nominated novels compete fiercely with object and style, and for this the Committee took into account the importance of focusing on the novel's work and its richness, the diversity of its approaches and its stylistic, intellectual and objective hoarding. For his part, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Yasser Suleiman, said: “The international prize for the Arabic novel is presented through the long list, which was chosen by the jury for this session, a set of narratives that dive into the depths of Arab and human concerns, benefiting from the marches of a long and complex history that overlaps. It contains horizons that the present does not emancipate from its grip, and this list carries in its folds the concerns of the Arab city and the turns of these concerns with all its destruction and ruin, and in this it records a history that exceeds the local and the immediate to touch what matters to man wherever he is ». Suleiman added: “As we celebrate this long list with all its worthy works, we must not miss applauding the intense presence of the Arab Maghreb in it, and that it combines the work of veteran Arab novelists and promising writers, which gives hope to more potential for excellence for Arabic literature ».
Judgement comity
The long list was chosen by a jury consisting of five members, headed by the Iraqi critic, Dr. Mohsen Jassem al-Musawi, and the membership of the Lebanese critic and journalist Pierre Abi Saab, and the Russian researcher Victoria Zaritovskaya, who transmitted many Arabic novels to the Russian language, and the Algerian writer and academic Amin Al-Zawy, The Egyptian media, Reem Majed.
• Next April 14, the prize winner of the International Prize for Arabic Fiction will be announced at its 13th edition in a ceremony in Abu Dhabi, on the eve of the opening of the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair.
• Next February 4, the selection of titles for the short list will be revealed by the jury, from among the narratives included in the long list, and announced at a conference in Morocco.