The Banipal Prize, whose full name is the Saif Ghobash–Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary Translation, is an annual prize awarded to a translator (or translators) for the published English

translation Translation is the communication of the Meaning (linguistic), meaning of a #Source and target languages, source-language text by means of an Dynamic and formal equivalence, equivalent #Source and target languages, target-language text. The ...

of a full-length literary work in the

Arabic language Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...

. The prize was inaugurated in 2006 by the literary magazine ''

Banipal ''Banipal'' is an independent literary magazine dedicated to the promotion of contemporary Arab literature through translations in English. It was founded in London in 1998 by Margaret Obank and Samuel Shimon. The magazine is published three ti ...

'' which promotes the diffusion of contemporary

Arabic literature Arabic literature ( ar, الأدب العربي / ALA-LC: ''al-Adab al-‘Arabī'') is the writing, both as prose and poetry, produced by writers in the Arabic language. The Arabic word used for literature is '' Adab'', which is derived from ...

through English translations and the Banipal Trust for Arab Literature. It is administered by the

Society of Authors The Society of Authors (SoA) is a United Kingdom trade union for professional writers, illustrators and literary translators, founded in 1884 to protect the rights and further the interests of authors. , it represents over 12,000 members and as ...

in the UK (which runs a number of similar literary translation prizes), and the prize money is sponsored by

Omar Saif Ghobash Omar Saif Ghobash ( ar, عمر سيف غباش; born 4 June 1971) is the Assistant Minister for Culture and Public Diplomacy in the UAE and an author. He was appointed ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to France on 24 November 2017, havi ...

and his family in memory of Ghobash's late father Saif Ghobash. As of 2009, the prize money amounted to £3000.

Winners and nominees

= winner

2006

* Humphrey Davies: ''Gate of the Sun'' by

Elias Khoury Elias Khoury ( ar, إلياس خوري; born 12 July 1948) is a Lebanese novelist, and prominent public intellectual. Accordingly, he has published myriad novels related to literary criticism, which have been translated into several foreign lang ...

* Hala Halim: ''Clamor of the Lake'' by Mohamed el-Bisatie * Paul Starkey: ''Stones of Bobello'' by

Edwar al-Kharrat Edwar al-Kharrat ( ar, إدوار الخراط‎; 16 March 1926 – 1 December 2015) was an Egyptian novelist, writer and critic. Early life He was born in Alexandria to a Coptic Christian family. He studied law at Alexandria University and w ...

Judges:

Moris Farhi Musa Moris Farhi MBE (5 July 1935 – 5 March 2019)Tessler, Gloria"Obituary: Musa Moris Farhi MBE" '' Jewish Chronicle'', 2 May 2019. was a Turkish author who was vice-president of International PEN from 2001 to his death in 2019. Profile Farhi ...

Maya Jaggi Maya Jaggi is a British writer, literary critic , editor and cultural journalist.Maya Jaggi profi ...

, Roger Allen

2007

* Farouk Mustafa (pen-name Farouk Abdel Wahab): ''The Lodging House'' by

Khairy Shalaby Khairy Shalaby (خيري شلبي) (January 31, 1938 – 9 September 2011)Marilyn Booth Marilyn Louise Booth (born 24 February 1955) is an author, scholar and translator of Arabic literature. Since 2015, she has been the Khalid bin Abdullah Al Saud Professor for the Study of the Contemporary Arab World at the University of Oxford and ...

: ''Thieves in Retirement'' by

Hamdi Abu Golayyel Hamdi Abu Golayyel (Arabic: حمدي أبوجليل) is an Egyptian writer. Early life He was born in 1967/68 in a Bedouin village in the Fayoum region. His ancestors arrived from Libya in the early 19th century to settle in Fayoum. Abu Golayyel ...

Peter Theroux Peter Christopher Sebastian Theroux (born 1956) is an American translator and writer. The younger brother of writers Alexander Theroux and Paul Theroux, during college Peter studied for a year at the University of Cairo. He became interested in Ara ...

: ''Saraya, The Ogre’s Daughter'' by Emile Habiby Judges:

Maya Jaggi Maya Jaggi is a British writer, literary critic , editor and cultural journalist.Maya Jaggi profi ...

, Roger Allen

2008

Fady Joudah Fady Joudah is a Palestinian-American poet and physician. He is the 2007 winner of the Yale Series of Younger Poets Competition for his collection of poems ''The Earth in the Attic''. Life Joudah was born in Austin, Texas in 1971 to Palestinian r ...

: ''The Butterfly’s Burden'' by

Mahmoud Darwish Mahmoud Darwish ( ar, محمود درويش, Maḥmūd Darwīsh, 13 March 1941 – 9 August 2008) was a Palestinian poet and author who was regarded as the Palestinian national poet. He won numerous awards for his works. Darwish used Palestine ...

Ghassan Nasr Ghassan Nasr is an academic and translator. He obtained an MFA from the University of Arkansas. He also obtained an MA and a PhD from Indiana University. He is currently an assistant professor in the English department at DePauw University. Nasr is ...

: ''The Journals of Sarab Affan'' by

Jabra Ibrahim Jabra Jabra Ibrahim Jabra (28 August 1919 – 12 December 1994) ( ar, جبرا ابراهيم جبرا) was a Iraqi-Palestinian author, artist and intellectual born in Adana in French-occupied Cilicia to a Syriac Orthodox Christian family. His fami ...

* Nancy Roberts: ''The Man from Bashmour'' by

Salwa Bakr Salwa Bakr (born 1949) is an Egyptian critic, novelist and author. Profile of the Egyptian Writer Salwa Bakr She was born in the Matariyya district in Cairo in 1949. Her father was a railway worker. She studied business at Ain Shams University, ...

Judges:

Marilyn Booth Marilyn Louise Booth (born 24 February 1955) is an author, scholar and translator of Arabic literature. Since 2015, she has been the Khalid bin Abdullah Al Saud Professor for the Study of the Contemporary Arab World at the University of Oxford and ...

Aamer Hussein Aamer Hussein (born 8 April 1955, Karachi) is a Pakistani critic Biography
Aamer Hussein official website. ...

Bill Swainson Bill(s) may refer to: Common meanings * Banknote, paper cash (especially in the United States) * Bill (law), a proposed law put before a legislature * Invoice, commercial document issued by a seller to a buyer * Bill, a bird or animal's beak Plac ...

, Roger Allen

2009

Samah Selim Samah Selim is an Egyptian scholar and translator of Arabic literature. She studied English literature at Barnard College, and obtained her PhD from Columbia University in 1997. At present she is an associate professor at the Department of Afri ...

: ''The Collar and the Bracelet'' by

Yahya Taher Abdullah Yahya Taher Abdullah (Arabic: يحيى الطاهر عبد الله) (1942–1981) was an Egyptian writer. Biography Abdullah born in Karnak in 1942. He grew up in Upper Egypt, but moved to Cairo in 1964. One of the first to recognize his talent ...

* Michelle Hartman: ''Wild Mulberries'' by

Iman Humaydan Younes Iman Humaydan (born 1956) is a Lebanese writer, researcher and creative writing professor at Saint-Denis Paris 8 University in France. She was born in the Mount Lebanon governorate in 1956. She studied sociology and Anthropology at the American Univ ...

Elliott Colla Elliott Colla is an American scholar of the Middle East, specializing in Arabic literature and culture. He is currently an associate professor in the Department of Arabic and Islamic Studies at Georgetown University. Career Colla received a B.A. ...

: ''Gold Dust'' by

Ibrahim al-Koni Ibrāhīm al-Kōnī (sometimes translated as Ibrāhīm Kūnī) ( ar, ابراهيم الكوني) is a Libyan writer and is considered to be one of the most prolific Arab novelists. Biography Born in 1948 in the Fezzan Region, Ghadamis City ...

Judges:

Francine Stock Francine Stock is a British radio and television presenter and novelist, of part-French origin. Early life Born in Devon, and with early years in Edinburgh and Australia, Stock later attended St Catherine's School, Guildford, where she was head ...

Aamer Hussein Aamer Hussein (born 8 April 1955, Karachi) is a Pakistani critic Biography
Aamer Hussein official website. ...

, Roger Allen

2010

Source: * Humphrey Davies: ''Yalo'' by

* Humphrey Davies: ''Sunset Oasis'' by

Bahaa Taher Bahaa Taher ( ar, بهاء طاهر; 13 January 1935 – 27 October 2022), sometimes transliterated as Bahaa Tahir, Baha Taher, or Baha Tahir, was an Egyptian novelist and short story writer who wrote in Arabic. He was awarded the inaugural Inte ...

* Kareem James Abu-Zeid: ''Cities without Palms'' by

Tarek Etayeb Tarek Eltayeb (born 2 January 1959) is an Egyptian-Sudanese Sudanese or Sudanic may refer to: *pertaining to the country of Sudan **the people of Sudan, see Demographics of Sudan *pertaining to Sudan (region) **Sudanic languages **Sudanic race, s ...

Judges:

Margaret Drabble Dame Margaret Drabble, Lady Holroyd, (born 5 June 1939) is an English biographer, novelist and short story writer. Drabble's books include '' The Millstone'' (1965), which won the following year's John Llewellyn Rhys Memorial Prize, and ''Jer ...

Susan Bassnett Susan Edna Bassnett, (born 21 October 1945) is a translation theorist and scholar of comparative literature. She served as pro-vice-chancellor at the University of Warwick for ten years and taught in its Centre for Translation and Comparative Cu ...

, Yasir Suleiman

2011

Source: *

Khaled Mattawa Khaled Mattawa (born 1964) is a Libyan poet, and a renowned Arab-American writer, he is also a leading literary translator, focusing on translating Arabic poetry into English. He works as an Assistant professor of creative writing at the Univers ...

: ''Selected Poems'' by

Adonis In Greek mythology, Adonis, ; derived from the Canaanite word ''ʼadōn'', meaning "lord".R. S. P. Beekes, ''Etymological Dictionary of Greek'', Brill, 2009, p. 23. was the mortal lover of the goddess Aphrodite. One day, Adonis was gored by a ...

Barbara Romaine Barbara Romaine (born 1959) is an academic and translator of Arabic literature. From 2008 to 2021 she taught in the Department of Global Interdisciplinary Studies at Villanova University, where she also edited a periodical, ''Writing in Tongues: A G ...

: ''Spectres'' by

Radwa Ashour Radwa Ashour ( ar, رضوى عاشور) (26 May 1946 – 30 November 2014) was an Egyptian novelist. Life Ashour was born in El-Manial to Mustafa Ashour, a lawyer and literature enthusiast, and Mai Azzam, a poet and an artist. She graduate ...

Maia Tabet Maia Tabet is an Arabic-English literary translator with a background in editing and journalism. Born in Beirut, Lebanon, in 1956, she was raised in Lebanon, India, and England. She studied philosophy and political science at the American Universi ...

: ''White Masks'' by

Judges: Sarah Churchwell,

Joan Smith Joan Alison Smith (born 27 August 1953) is an English journalist, novelist, and human rights activist, who is a former chair of the Writers in Prison committee in the English section of International PEN and was the Executive Director of Hack ...

, Christina Phillips,

Samuel Shimon Samuel Shimon (born 1956 in Al-Habbaniyah, Iraq) is an Iraqi writer and journalist of Assyrian descent. He left Iraq in 1979 with dreams of becoming a director in Hollywood, and has since then lived in Damascus, Amman, Beirut, Nicosia, Aden, Ca ...

2012

Source: * Roger Allen: ''A Muslim Suicide'' by

Bensalem Himmich Bensalem Himmich () (born in 1948 in Meknes) is a Moroccan novelist, poet and philosopher with a PhD in Philosophy from the University of Paris, who teaches at the Mohammed V University, Rabat. He served as Minister of Culture from 29 July 200 ...

* Humphrey Davies: ''I Was Born There, I Was Born Here'' by

Mourid Barghouti Mourid Barghouti ( ar, مريد البرغوثي, ; 8 July 1944 – 14 February 2021) was a Palestinian poet and writer. Biography Barghouti was born in Deir Ghassana, near Ramallah, on the West Bank, in 8 July 1944. He studied English lit ...

Judges:

Ruth Padel Ruth Sophia Padel FRSL FZS is a British poet, novelist and non-fiction author, known for her poetic explorations of migration, both animal and human, and her involvement with classical music, wildlife conservation and Greece, ancient and modern. ...

Esther Freud Esther Freud (born 2 May 1963) is a British novelist. Early life and training Born in London, Freud is the daughter of Bernardine Coverley and painter Lucian Freud. She is also a great-granddaughter of Sigmund Freud and niece of Clement Freu ...

Fadhil al-Azzawi Fadhil Al Azzawi (Arabic: فاضل العزاوي ; born 1940 in Kirkuk, Iraq) is an Iraqi writer highly respected in the Arab world, as he has published ten volumes of poetry, six novels, three books of criticism and memoir, and several translat ...

, John Peate

2013

Source: * Jonathan Wright: ''Azazeel'' by

Youssef Ziedan Youssef Ziedan ( ar, يوسف زيدان) (born June 30, 1958) is an Egyptian writer and scholar who specializes in Arabic and Islamic studies. He is a public lecturer, columnist, and prolific author of more than 50 books. He is also director ...

* William Maynard Hutchins: ''A Land Without Jasmine'' by Wajdi al-Ahdal Judges: Humphrey Davies,

Hassan Abdulrazzak Hassan Abdulrazzak (Arabic: حسن عبد الرزاق) is an Iraqi playwright and writer. He was born in Prague and studied molecular biology at university, obtaining a PhD from University College London in 1999. He has written a number of plays ...

, Rajeev Balasubramanyam,

Meike Ziervogel Meike Ziervogel (born 1967, Germany) is a novelist and publisher. Life Ziervogel was born in 1967 in Kiel in Germany and grew up in Schleswig-Holstein and Hessen. She came to London in the UK in 1986 to study Arabic language and literature. S ...

2014

Source: *

Sinan Antoon Sinan Antoon ( ar, سنان أنطون), is an Iraqi poet, novelist, scholar, and literary translator. He has been described as "one of the most acclaimed authors of the Arab world." He is an associate professor at the Gallatin School of Individu ...

: ''The Corpse Washer'' by

Paula Haydar Paula Haydar (born 1965) is an American academic and translator. She has a PhD in Comparative literature and an MFA in Literary translation. She won an Arkansas Arabic Translation Prize for her translation of Elias Khoury's ''The Kingdom of S ...

: ''June Rain'' by

Jabbour Douaihy Jabbour Douaihy (; 1949 – 23 June 2021) was a critically-acclaimed Lebanese writer, translator, and professor of literature. His novels were nominated four times for the International Prize for Arabic Fiction, and he has also published transl ...

Longlist * ''The Mehlis Report'' by

Rabee Jaber Rabee Jaber ( ar, ربيع جابر; born 1972) is a Lebanese novelist and journalist, born in Beirut, Lebanon. Life Jaber studied Physics at the American University of Beirut (AUB). He is also editor of ''Afaaq'' (in Arabic آفاق meaning H ...

, trans. Kareem James Abu-Zeid (New Directions) * ''The Arch and the Butterfly'' by

Mohammed Achaari Mohammed Achaari ( ar, محمد الأشعري; born 1951) is a Moroccan writer and politician. Early life He was born in Moulay Driss Zerhoun. He studied law at the Mohammed V University and graduated in 1976. He published a collection of sho ...

, trans. Aida Bamia (Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation Publishing) * ''Private Pleasures'' by

Hamdy El-Gazzar Hamdy el-Gazzar ( ar, حمدي الجزار; born 1 October 1970) is an Egyptian writer. He was born in Giza and studied philosophy at Cairo University. He has been publishing since the 1990s; his literary output includes novels, short stories, s ...

, trans. Humphrey Davies (AUC Press) * ''Ben Barka Lane'' by

Mahmoud Saeed Mahmoud Saeed (born 1939) is an Iraqi-born American novelist. Born in Mosul, Saeed has written more than twenty novels and short story collections, and hundreds of articles. He started writing short stories at an early age. He wrote an award-w ...

, trans. Kay Heikkinen (Interlink Publishing Co.) * ''Other Lives'' by

Iman Humaydan Iman Humaydan (born 1956) is a Lebanese writer, researcher and creative writing professor at Saint-Denis Paris 8 University in France. She was born in the Mount Lebanon governorate in 1956. She studied sociology and Anthropology at the American Uni ...

, trans. Michelle Hartman (Interlink Books) * ''Throwing Sparks'' by Abdo Khal, trans.

and Michael K. Scott (Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation Publishing) * ''That Smell'' by

Sonallah Ibrahim Son'allah Ibrahim ( ar, صنع الله إبراهيم ''Ṣunʻ Allāh Ibrāhīm'') (born 1937) is an Egyptian novelist and short story writer and one of the " Sixties Generation" who is known for his leftist and nationalist views which are exp ...

, trans.

Robyn Creswell Robyn Creswell is an American critic, scholar and translator. Life He graduated from Brown University in 1999 and gained a doctorate in comparative literature from New York University in 2011. In addition to teaching comparative literature a ...

(New Directions) * ''House of the Wolf'' by

Ezzat El Kamhawi Ezzat El Kamhawi ( ar, عزت القمحاوي) is an Egyptian novelist and journalist. In December 2012, El Kamhawi was awarded the Naguib Mahfouz Medal for Literature for his novel ''House of the Wolf''. In June 2022 he was awarded the Samir ...

, trans. Nancy Roberts (AUC Press) * ''New Waw'' by

, trans.

William M. Hutchins William Maynard Hutchins (born October 11, 1944) is an American academic, author and translator of contemporary Arabic literature. He was formerly a professor in the Department of Philosophy and Religion at Appalachian State University in Boone, No ...

(University of Texas Press) * ''Moon and Henna Tree'' by

Ahmed Toufiq Ahmed Toufiq (born 22 June 1943) is a Moroccan historian and novelist who is serving as Minister for Islamic Affairs in the government of Morocco since 2002. Biography Toufiq was born on 22 June 1943 in the Marigha Village in the High Atlas. Aft ...

, trans. Roger Allen (University of Texas Press) * ''The Bridges of Constantine'' by Ahlem Mosteghanemi, trans.

Raphael Cohen (translator) Rabbi Raphael ben Jekuthiel Susskind Cohen, in German Rafael ben Jekutiel Süsskind Kohen (Lithuania, 4 November 1722 – Altona, 11 November 1803), a kohen, was Chief Rabbi of Altona-Hamburg-Wandsbek from 1775. He was educated at Minsk under ...

(Bloomsbury) * ''Earth Weeps, Saturn Laughs'' by Abdulaziz al Farsi, trans. Nancy Roberts (AUC Press) * ''Gertrude'' by

Hassan Najmi Hassan Najmi (born on March 7, 1960) is a Moroccan poet. Born in Ben Ahmed. His first book of poems ''Lavenders’ Princedom'' came out in 1982. Although his early work shows the influence of poets such as Ahmed Mejjati, Mohammed Serghini and ...

, trans. Roger Allen (Interlink Books) * ''Status Emo'' by

Eslam Mosbah Eslam Mosbah (born 1984) is an Egyptians, Egyptian novelist. He is best known for his 2011 novel ''Status: Emo'' which was described by Alaa Al Aswany as one of the best Arabic novels of the decade. It has since been translated into English by Rapa ...

, trans.

(AUC Press) * ''The Silence and the Roar'' by

Nihad Sirees Nihad Sirees (; born 1950, Aleppo, Syria) is a Syrian writer of contemporary fiction and screenwriter. He was born in the northern Syrian metropolis Aleppo and studied engineering in Bulgaria. Sirees emerged as a fiction writer in the 1980s, and ...

, trans.

Max Weiss Miksa (Max) Weisz (21 July 1857 – 14 March 1927) was an Austrian chess player born in the Kingdom of Hungary. Weiss was born in Sereď. Moving to Vienna, he studied mathematics and physics at the university, and later taught those subjects. We ...

(Pushkin Press) Judges:

Paul Blezard-Gymer Paul may refer to: * Paul (given name), a given name (includes a list of people with that name) * Paul (surname), a list of people People Christianity *Paul the Apostle (AD c.5–c.64/65), also known as Saul of Tarsus or Saint Paul, early Chr ...

Lulu Norman Lulu may refer to: Companies * LuLu, an early automobile manufacturer * Lulu.com, an online e-books and print self-publishing platform, distributor, and retailer * Lulu Hypermarket, a retail chain in Asia * Lululemon Athletica or simply Lulu, ...

, Jonathan Wright

2015

Source: * Paul Starkey for ''The Book of the Sultan's Seal: Strange Incidents from History in the City of Mars'' by

Youssef Rakha Youssef Rakha (; born on 12 June 1976 in Cairo, Egypt) is an Egyptian writer. His work explores language and identity in the context of Cairo, and reflects connections with the Arab-Islamic canon and world literature. He has worked in many genres ...

* ''Land of No Rain'' by

Amjad Nasser Amjad Nasser ( ar, أمجد ناصر), known with the pseudonym of Yahya Numeiri al-Naimat ( ar, يحيى النميري النعيمات), (1955 – 31 October 2019) was a London-based Jordanian writer, journalist and poet and one of the pionee ...

, trans. Jonathan Wright Longlist * ''Stealth'' by

, trans. Hosam Aboul-Ela (New Directions, USA) * ''The Penguin's Song'' by Hassan Daoud, trans.

(City Lights Publishers, USA) * ''African Titanics'' by Abu Bakr Khaal, trans. Charis Bredin (Darf Publishers, UK) * ''Butterfly Wings'' by

Mohamed Salmawy Mohamed Salmawy is a leading Egyptian intellectual whose writings are widely read throughout the Arab World. He is the former president of the Writers Union of Egypt and the secretary general of the General Union of Arab Writers. A former editor-in ...

, trans. Raphael Cohen (The American University in Cairo Press, Egypt/USA) * ''Fullblood Arabian'' by Osama Alomar, trans.

C.J. Collins CJ or similar may refer to: Businesses * BA CityFlyer (IATA airline designator) * China Northern Airlines (IATA airline designator) *CJ Group (also known as Cheil Jedang), a South Korean conglomerate * CJ CheilJedang, South Korean food and bevera ...

(New Directions, USA) * ''The Broken Mirrors: Sinalcol'' by

, trans. Humphrey Davies (Maclehose Press, UK) * ''

Diary of a Jewish Muslim ''Diary of a Jewish Muslim'' is a 2014 book by Egyptian author Kamal Ruhayyim. It constitutes the first part of the "Galal trilogy", dealing with the life of Galal, an Egyptian boy with a Muslim father and a Jewish mother and spanning the 1930s t ...

'' by

Kamal Ruhayyim Kamal Ruhayyim (Arabic: كمال رحيم) (born 1947) is an Egyptian writer. He obtained a doctorate in law from Cairo University, before pursuing a career in law enforcement (police and Interpol). As an author, he is best known for the Galal tr ...

, trans.

Sarah Enany Sarah Enany ( ar, ساره عناني) is a literary translator. She has a PhD in drama and teaches at Cairo University. She has translated works by Yusuf Idris, Mohamed Salmawy and Ahmed Aboul Gheit, but she is best known for her translation ...

(The AUC Press, Egypt/USA) * ''Who's Afraid of Meryl Streep'' by

Rashid Al-Daif Rashid El Daif (Arabic: رشيد الضعيف) (or Rasheed Al-Daif, Rachid El-Daïf, Rachid Al-Daif) (born 6 August 1945) is a Lebanese poet and novelist. He has been translated into 14 languages. He has been referred to as "the Arab world's answe ...

, trans.

and

Nadine Sinno Nadine may refer to: People * Nadine (given name) * Nadine, Countess of Shrewsbury (1913–2003), English opera soprano Film and TV * ''Nadine'' (1987 film), a 1987 film with Jeff Bridges and Kim Basinger * , a 2007 Dutch film with Monic Hen ...

(Centre for Middle Eastern Studies, University of Texas at Austin, USA) * ''French Perfume'' by

Amir Tag Elsir Amir Tag Elsir (, born 1960), also written Amir Taj al-Sir, is a Sudanese medical doctor and novelist, writing in Arabic. He has published more than 20 works of poetry, biography and novels, some of these translated into English or other languages ...

, trans.

(Antibookclub, USA) * ''Nothing More to Lose'' by

Najwan Darwish Najwan Darwish ( ar, نجوان درويش); born December 8, 1978, in Jerusalem, is a Palestinian poet. The New York Review of Books has described him as "one of the foremost Arabic-language poets of his generation". In 2014, NPR included his ...

, poetry trans. Kareem James Abu-Zeid (NY Books, USA) * ''The Iraqi Nights'' by

Dunya Mikhail Dunya Mikhail (born 1965 in Baghdad, Iraq) is an Iraqi-American poet based in the United States. Life She was born and raised in Iraq to a Chaldean-Catholic family. She graduated with a BA from the University of Baghdad. Mikhail worked as a jou ...

, poetry trans. Kareem James Abu-Zeid (New Directions, USA) * ''The Woman from Tantoura'' by

, trans. Kay Heikkinen (The AUC Press, Egypt/USA) * ''Dates on my Fingers'' by Muhshin al-Ramli, trans. Luke Leafgren (The AUC Press, Egypt/USA) * ''Oh, Salaam!'' by

Najwa Barakat Najwa Barakat ( ar, نجوى بركات, b. 1966, Beirut) is a Lebanese Arab novelist, journalist and film director. Career After achieving studies in theater (Beirut Fine Arts Institute) and cinema (French cinema Institution), she moves def ...

, trans. Luke Leafgren (Interlink, USA) * ''Where Pigeons Don't Fly'' by Yousef Al-Mohaimeed, trans. Robin Moger (Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation Publishing) * ''Women of Karantina'' by Nael Eltoukhy, trans. Robin Moger (The AUC Press, Egypt/USA) * ''The Crocodiles'' by

, trans. Robin Moger (Seven Stories Press, USA) * ''Days of Ignorance'' by

Laila Aljohani Leila ( fa, لیلا, ar, ليلى, he, לילה) is a feminine given name primarily in the Semitic (Arabic, Hebrew) and Iranian languages. In Latin alphabet the name is commonly spelled in multiple ways, including Laela, Laelah, Laila, La ...

, trans. Nancy Roberts (Bloomsbury, UK/USA) * ''Chaos of the Senses'' by Ahlem Mosteghanemi, trans. Nancy Roberts (Bloomsbury) * ''The Lanterns of the King of Galilee'' by Ibrahim Nasrallah, trans. Nancy Roberts (The AUC Press, Egypt/USA) * ''Blue Lorries'' by

, trans.

(Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation Publishing) * ''Beirut, Beirut'' by

, trans. Chip Rossetti (Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation Publishing) * ''The Book of the Sultan's Seal'' by

, trans. Paul Starkey (Interlink, USA) * ''Monarch of the Square: an Anthology of Mohamed Zafzaf's Short Stories'' by Mohamed Zafzaf, trans. Mbarek Sryfi and Roger Allen (Syracuse University Press, USA) * ''The Chronicles of Majnun Layla and Selected Poems'' by Qassim Haddad, poetry trans. John Verlenden and Ferial Ghazoul (Syracuse University Press, USA) * ''Rain Over Baghdad'' by Hala el Badry, trans.

Farouk Abdel Wahab Farouk Abdel Wahab Mustafa (Arabic: عبد الوهاب، فاروق; – 3 April 2013), pen name Farouk Abdel Wahab, was an Egyptian academic and translator based in the USA. He was born in Tanta and studied at the University of Cairo. He receiv ...

(The AUC Press, Egypt/USA) * ''Land Of No Rain'' by

, trans. Jonathan Wright (Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation Publishing) * ''Temple Bar'' by Bahaa Abdelmegid, trans''.'' Jonathan Wright (The AUC Press, Egypt/USA) * ''Chewing Gum'' by Mansour Bushnaf, trans.

Mona Zaki Mona Ali Mohamed Zaki ( ar, منى علي محمد زكي; born 18 November 1976) is an Egyptian actress. Biography Mona Zaki was born to her parents Ali Mohamed Zaki and Tahani on November 18, 1976. Until the age of 13, she lived in Kuwait. ...

(Darf Publishers, UK) Judges: Robin Ostle, Samira Kawar, Alastair Niven, Susannah Tarbush.

2016

Source: * Jonathan Wright for his translation of the novel ''The Bamboo Stalk'' by Saud Alsanousi Longlist * ''Confessions'' by

, trans. Kareem James Abu-Zeid (New Directions, USA) * ''The Bride of Amman'' by

Fadi Zaghmout Fadi Zaghmout is a Jordan Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the Eas ...

, trans. Ruth Ahmedzai Kemp (Signal 8 Press, Hong Kong) * ''Desert Sorrows'' by Tayseer al-Sboul, trans. Nesreen Akhtarkhavari and Anthony A Lee (Michigan State University Press, USA) * ''My Torturess'' by

, trans. Roger Allen (Syracuse University Press, USA) * ''Hurma'' by Ali al-Muqri, trans. T M Aplin (Darf Publishers, UK) * ''

Ebola '76 ''Ebola ‘76'' ( ar, إيبولا 76) is a 2012 novel written by Sudanese author and medical doctor Amir Taj al-Sir. Originally written in Arabic, the novel recounts the 1976 Ebola outbreak in Sudan. Plot On a hot, humid August day in 1976, ...

'' by

, trans. Charis Bredin and Emily Danby (Darf Publishers, UK) * ''32'' by Sahar Mandour, trans.

Nicole Fares Nicole Fares is a Lebanese academic and translator. She obtained a bachelor's degree in translation and interpretation from AUST in Beirut. She then obtained an M.F.A in literary translation and a Ph.D. in comparative literature and cultural ...

(Syracuse University Press, USA) * ''The Automobile Club of Egypt'' by

Alaa Al Aswany Alaa Al Aswany ( ar, علاء الأسواني, ; born 26 May 1957) is an Egyptian writer, novelist, and a founding member of the political movement Kefaya. Early life and career Al Aswany was born on 26 May 1957 in Cairo. His mother, Zain ...

, trans. Russell Harris (Canongate, UK) * ''Ali and his Russian Mother'' by

Alexandra Chreiteh Alexandra Chreiteh ألكسندرا شريتح is a Lebanese author known for her portrayal of the barriers faced by Arab women. Life and Work Alexandra Chreiteh was born in Moscow, Russia and was raised in a religiously conservative region in Le ...

, trans. Michelle Hartman (Interlink Publishing, USA) * ''Telepathy'' by

, trans. William M Hutchins (Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation Publishing, Qatar) * ''The Scarecrow'' by

, trans. William M Hutchins (CMES, University of Texas at Austin, USA) * ''A Portal in Space'' by

, trans. William M Hutchins (CMES, University of Texas at Austin, USA) * ''All Faces but Mine'' by

Samih al-Qasim Samīħ al-Qāsim al Kaissy ( ar, سميح القاسم; he, סמיח אל קאסם; 1939 – August 19, 2014) was a Palestinian Druze poet with Israeli citizenship whose work is well known throughout the Arab world. He was born in Transjordan ...

, trans. Abdulwahid Lu‘lu‘a (Syracuse University Press, USA) * ''Mortal Designs'' by Reem Bassiouney, trans. Melanie Magidow (AUC Press, Egypt/USA) * ''The Dust of Promises'' by

Ahlem Mostaghanemi Ahlem Mosteghanemi ( ar, أحلام مستغانمي), alternatively written Ahlam Mosteghanemi (born 1953) is an Algerian writer who has been called "''probably the world's best-known Arabophone woman novelist''". She was the first Algerian wom ...

, trans. Nancy Roberts (Bloomsbury Publishing, UK) * ''Whitefly'' by

Abdelilah Hamdouchi Abdelilah Hamdouchi (born 1958) is a Moroccan writer. He was born in Meknes. He is a prolific writer of crime thrillers, several of which have been translated into English. He lives in Rabat Rabat (, also , ; ar, الرِّبَاط, er-Ribâ ...

, trans. Jonathan Smolin (Hoopoe Fiction, Egypt/USA) * ''The Holy Sail'' by

Abdulaziz al-Mahmoud Abdulaziz Al-Mahmoud is a Qatari engineer, journalist and author. He previously served as editor-in-chief of The Peninsula and its Arabic counterpart, Al Sharq. As a writer, his debut novel '' Al Qursan'' experienced commercial success after its ...

, trans. Karim Traboulsi (Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation Publishing, Qatar) * ''The Bamboo Stalk'' by

Saud Alsanousi Saud Alsanousi ( ar, سعود السنعوسي, born 27 May 1981) is a Kuwaiti novelist and journalist. His debut novel ''The Prisoner of Mirrors'' (2010) won the Leila Othman Prize. In 2011, his short story ''The Bonsai and the Old Man'' won a c ...

, trans. Jonathan Wright (Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation Publishing, Qatar) * ''The Televangelist'' by

Ibrahim Essa Ibrahim Essa (Arabic:إبراهيم عيسى) (born 10 April 1994) is an Emirati footballer. He currently plays as a goalkeeper for Al Bataeh on loan from Al-Wasl Al Wasl Sports Club ( ar, نادي الوصل) is a multi-sports club in D ...

, trans. Jonathan Wright (Hoopoe Fiction, Egypt/USA) Judges: Paul Starkey, Lucy Popescu, Zahia Smail Salhi, Bill Swainson,

2017

Source: * Robin Moger for ''The Book of Safety'' by

Yasser Abdel Hafez Yasser Abdel Hafez (Arabic: ياسر عبد الحفيظ), (born 1969) is an Egyptian novelist and journalist. He was born in Cairo and studied law at Ain Shams University Ain Shams University ( ar, جامعة عين شمس) is a public unive ...

* ''The Dove's Necklace'' by Raja Alem, trans. Katharine Halls and Adam Talib (Duckworth) * ''

No Knives in the Kitchens of This City ''No Knives in the Kitchens of This City'' () is a novel by the Syrian novelist Khaled Khalifa. The novel was first published in 2013 by Al Ain publishing house in Cairo. The novel was awarded the "Najib Mahfouz Prize for Literature" in 2013, it ...

'' by

Khaled Khalifa Khaled Khalifa (born 1964) ( ar, خالد خليفة, sometimes in English written Writing is a medium of human communication which involves the representation of a language through a system of physically inscribed, mechanically transferre ...

, trans. Leri Price (Hoopoe) * ''Limbo Beirut'' by

Hilal Chouman Hilal Chouman ( Arabic: هلال شومان) (born 1982) is a Lebanese novelist and writer. He was born in Beirut and studied communications and electronics engineering at Jâmi'at Bâyrut Al-Arabiya. He then obtained an MSc in aerospace commun ...

, trans. Anna Ziajka Stanton (Center for Middle Eastern Studies, Univ. Texas Press) Judges: Alastair Niven, Peter Kalu,

Wen-chin Ouyang Wen-chin Ouyang, () is a professor of Arabic literature and comparative literature at SOAS, University of London.Ben EastWill Arab novel expert judge for 2015 Man Booker International Prize help region’s chances? The National, October 14, 2013. ...

, Salam Sarhan.

2018

Source: * ''The President's Gardens'' by Muhsin Al-Ramli, tr. Luke Leafgren (MacLehose Press/Quercus) * ''Concerto al-Quds'' by

, tr.

(Yale University Press) * ''Frankenstein in Baghdad'' by

Ahmed Saadawi Ahmed Saadawi (born 1973, ar, أحمد سعداوي) is an Iraqi novelist, poet, screenwriter and documentary film maker. He won the 2014 International Prize for Arabic Fiction for ''Frankenstein in Baghdad''. He lives and works in Baghdad. Awar ...

, tr. Jonathan Wright (Oneworld) * ''Using Life'' by Ahmed Naji, tr. Ben Koerber (CMES Publications, UT Austin)

Longlist

* ''In Jerusalem and Other Poems'' by

Tamim al-Barghouti Tamim Al-Barghouti ( ar, تميم البرغوثي) is a Palestinian-Egyptian poet, columnist and political scientist. Nicknamed the "poet of Jerusalem" (), he is one of the most widely read poets in the Arab World. Life Tamim al-Barghouti was ...

, translated by

Ahdaf Soueif Ahdaf Soueif ( ar, أهداف سويف; born 23 March 1950) is an Egyptian novelist and political and cultural commentator. Early life Soueif was born in Cairo, where she lives, and was educated in Egypt and England. She studied for a PhD in lin ...

(Interlink Books) * ''No Road to Paradise'' by Hassan Daoud, translated by

(Hoopoe Fiction, AUC Press) * ''Divine Names'' by Luay Abdul-Ilah, translated by Judy Cumberbatch (Mira Publishing) * ''Hend and the Soldiers'' by

Badriah Albeshr Badriah Al-Beshr ( ar, بدرية البشر, born 1967 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia) is a Saudi Arabian writer and novelist. She was born in Riyadh and obtained a bachelor's degree and master's degree from King Saud University and a PhD from the ...

, translated by Sanna Dhahir (CMES Publications, Univ Texas at Austin) * The American Quarter by

, translated by Paula Haydar (Interlink Books) * The Apartment in Bab el-Louk by Donia Maher (with illustrations by Ganzeer and Ahmad Nady), translated by Elisabeth Jaquette (Darf Publishers) * Suslov's Daughter by Habib Abdulrab Sarori, translated by Elisabeth Jaquette (Darf Publishers) * Tales of Yusuf Tadrus by Adel Esmat, translated by

Mandy McClure Mandy or Mandie may refer to: People * Mandy (name), a female given name and nickname * Iván Mándy (1918-1995), Hungarian writer * Mark Mandy (born 1972), Irish retired high jumper * Philip Mandie (born 1942), a former judge on the Supreme ...

(AUC Press) * All The Battles by Maan Abu Taleb, translated by Robin Moger (Hoopoe Fiction, AUC Press) * Embrace on Brooklyn Bridge by

Ezzedine C. Fishere Ezzedine Choukri Fishere ( ar, عزالدين شكري فشير) (born 1966 in Kuwait City) is an Egyptian novelist, diplomat and academic. Early life and career Ezzedine was born to Egyptian parents working in Kuwait. At the age of two, he retu ...

, translated by John Peate (AUC Press) * Gaza Weddings by Ibrahim Nasrallah, translated by Nancy Roberts (Hoopoe Fiction, AUC Press) * Farewell, Damascus by

Ghada Samman Ghadah Al-Samman ( ar, غادة السمّان; born 1942) is a Syrian writer, journalist and novelist born in Damascus in 1942 to a prominent and conservative Damascene family. Her father was Ahmed Al-Samman, a president of the Syrian Univers ...

, translated by Nancy Roberts (Darf Publishers) * Bled Dry by

, translated by Benjamin Smith (Hoopoe Fiction, AUC Press) * The Blueness of the Evening: Selected Poems of Hassan Najmi by

, translated by Mbarek Sryfi and Eric Sellin (University of Arkansas Press) * Fractured Destinies by

Rabai al-Madhoun Rabai al-Madhoun (born 1945) is a Palestinian journalist, novelist and writer. He was born in the village of al-Majdal in British Mandatory Palestine, near Ashkelon in present-day Israel. His family was driven out of Palestine in the 1948 Palest ...

, translated by Paul Starkey (Hoopoe Fiction, AUC Press) * The Baghdad Eucharist by

, translated by

(Hoopoe Fiction, AUC Press) Judges: Pete Ayrton, Georgia de Chamberet, Fadia Faqir and Sophia Vasalou.

2019

Source: * ''Death is Hard Work'' by

, translated by Leri Price (

Faber & Faber Faber and Faber Limited, usually abbreviated to Faber, is an independent publishing house in London. Published authors and poets include T. S. Eliot (an early Faber editor and director), W. H. Auden, Margaret Storey, William Golding, Samuel B ...

) * ''Celestial Bodies'' by Jokha Alharthi, translated by

(Sandstone Press) * ''My Name is Adam: Children of the Ghetto Volume 1'' by

, translated by Humphrey Davies (

MacLehose Press Quercus is a formerly independent publishing house, based in London, that was acquired by Hodder & Stoughton in 2014. It was founded in 2004 by Mark Smith and Wayne Davies. Quercus is known for its lists in crime (publishing such authors as Ell ...

) * ''Jokes for the Gunman'' by Mazen Maarouf, translated by Jonathan Wright (

Granta Books ''Granta'' is a literary magazine and publisher in the United Kingdom whose mission centres on its "belief in the power and urgency of the story, both in fiction and non-fiction, and the story’s supreme ability to describe, illuminate and ma ...

) Judges: Ghazi Gheblawi (chair), Dr Jan Fortune, Abla Oudeh, Catherine Taylor.

2021

The shortlist was announced on 24 November 2021. The jury consisted of Roger Allen (Chair), Rosemarie Hudson, Ronak Hosni, and Caroline McCormick. The winner was announced on 12 January 2022. * ''Voices of the Lost'' by

Hoda Barakat Hoda Barakat ( ar, هدى بركات) (born 1952) is an award-winning Lebanese novelist. She lived most of her early life in Beirut before moving to Paris, where she now resides. She has published six novels, two plays, a book of short stories, a ...

(Oneworld) translated by

ebanon * ''The Girl with Braided Hair'' by

Rasha Adly Rasha Adly (born 1976) (Arabic: رشا عدلي) is an Egyptian writer and art historian. She is the author of seven novels, two of which have been nominated for the International Prize for Arabic Fiction. Early life and education Adly was born ...

(Hoopoe Fiction), translated by

gypt * ''A Bed for the King’s Daughter'' by Shahla Ujayli (Center for Middle Eastern Studies/University of Texas Press), translated by Sawad Hussain (Syria)\ * ''The Frightened Ones'' by

Dima Wannous Dima Wannous ( ar, ديمة ونوس) (born in Damascus in 1982) is a Syrian writer and translator. She studied French literature at Damascus University and the Sorbonne. Also, she studied translation in France and has lived in Beirut, where she w ...

(Harvill Secker), translated by Elisabeth Jaquette (Syria) * ''God99'' by

Hassan Blasim Hassan Blasim (born 1973) is an Iraqi-born film director and writer. He writes in Arabic. He is a citizen of Finland. Blasim left Iraq in 2000 to escape persecution for his films, including ''The Wounded Camera'', filmed in the Kurd ug:كۇر� ...

(Comma Press), translated by Jonathan Wright

References

{{reflist Arabic literary awards Society of Authors awards Translation awards Awards established in 2006 2006 establishments in the United Kingdom

Winners and nominees

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

Longlist

2019

2021

See also

References