The author, an aeronautical engineer, was longlisted in 2019 for ‘Women of the Five Senses.’ He wins for ‘Notebooks of the Bookseller.’
Jalal Barjas in the digital announcement of his win of the International Prize for Arabic Fiction. Image: IPAF
‘Rich, Refined Language’
In its announcement this afternoon Gulf time (May 25), the United Arab Emirates’ 14th International Prize for Arabic Fiction has named the Jordanian novelist and aeronautical engineer Jalal Barjas the winner of its US$50,000 honor for his novel
Notebooks of the Bookseller, published by the Arabic Institute for Research and Publishing.
Barjas was longlisted for this award in 2019 for
Notebooks of the Bookseller wins 2021 International Prize for Arabic Fiction Tue 25th May 2021 | 04:30 PM
ABU DHABI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 25th May, 2021) Notebooks of the Bookseller by Jalal Barjas was today announced as the winner of the International Prize for Arabic Fiction (IPAF). The novel, published by The Arabic Institute for Research and Publishing, was named as this yearâs winner by Chair of Judges Chawki Bazih during a virtual winner ceremony.
In addition to being awarded USD $50,000, funding will be provided for the English translation of Notebooks of the Bookseller, and Barjas can expect to see an increase in book sales and international recognition.
UAE: Notebooks of the Bookseller wins 2021 International Prize for Arabic Fiction
Wam/Abu Dhabi
Wam
In addition to $50,000 prize winnings, funding will be provided for the English translation of the book.
A book of hope amid homelessness and poverty bagged the 2021 International Prize for Arabic Fiction (IPAF) on Tuesday.
‘Notebooks of the Bookseller’ by Jordanian poet and novelist Jalal Barjas, and published by The Arabic Institute for Research and Publishing, was named as this year’s winner during a virtual ceremony.
Describing the book, Chawki Bazih, Chair of Judges, said: “Apart from its rich, refined language and tight, thrilling plot, this bold winning novel is distinguished by Jalal Barjas’ impressive ability to strip the masks from the face of tragic reality. The author presents us with the darkest portraits of homelessness and poverty, where meaning has been lost and hope torn up by the roots, turning life into a realm of nightmares. Despite this, the novel
Notebooks of the Bookseller.
The novel, published by The Arabic Institute for Research and Publishing, was named this year’s winner of the prize during an online ceremony on Tuesday.
Besides receiving a monetary prize of $50,000, Barjas will also be given funding towards securing an English translation of his novel.
«أقسى أشكال الوجع أن يكتشف الواحد منا أن حياته تشكلت على نحو لم تكن لنا يد فيه، كنت ترابا نقياً من الحصى فعجنه والدي بماء الخوف، خوف لا أدري للآن كيف تلبسه حيال كل شيء.» دفاتر الورّاق، جلال برجس pic.twitter.com/NX8gE34I6d Habiba Alaya (@Booklovers tn) May 10, 2021
Notebooks of the Bookseller is set in Jordan and Moscow between 1947 and 2019. It tells the story of Ibrahim, a bookseller and voracious reader, who loses his shop and finds himself homeless and diagnosed with schizophrenia. He begins to
The longlisted works address important issues facing the Arab world today, from the spread of extremist organisations to the position of women.
Chosen novelists are aged between 31 and 75 and hail from 11 countries, including Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Tunisia and Yemen.
The longlist was chosen by a panel of five judges chaired by Lebanese poet and author Chawki Bazih.
Judging alongside Bazih are Mohammed Ait Hanna, a Moroccan writer, translator and lecturer of philosophy at the Regional Centre for Teaching Careers and Training in Casablanca; Safa Jubran, a lecturer of Arabic Language and Modern Literature at the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil; Ali