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
International Prize for Arabic Fiction Names Its 2021 Longlist publishingperspectives.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from publishingperspectives.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The City and the Writer: In Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, with Ali Al Ameri
Ali Al Ameri. Photo by Satish Kumar.
If each city is like a game of chess, the day when I have learned the rules, I shall finally possess my empire, even if I shall never succeed in knowing all the cities it contains. Italo Calvino,
Can you describe the mood of Sharjah as you feel/see it?
I am deeply connected to the tempo and pulse of the city, where the rhythms of the sea, desert, and urbanity create a diversity of life and culture. Residents from all continents can be found here. There is a myriad of cultural and artistic events, namely the Book Fair, the Biennial of Arts, the Children s Reading Festival, Theatre Days, the Festival of Lights, Heritage Days, and the Arab Poetry Festival. The name of the city stems from its location in the far east of the UAE, which is associated with sunrise. Archaeological excavations indicate the existence of an ancient civilization dating back to the fifth centur
Wednesday, January 6 will herald the Arabic book launch of
Mariam Juma Faraj: The Icon of Emirati Culture. A collection of authors, including Emirati and Palestinian poets Samr Al Bakr and Sameh Kaawach, will discuss the tribute to the pioneering short
story writer.
The anticipated session by Adonis will take place on Monday, January 11, with the poet s wide-ranging address set to explore the role of literature in the region and how Arabic poetry can continue to resonate in modern society.
An open house for Abu Dhabi writers and poets to showcase their works will be held on Wednesday, January 13, while Emirati filmmaker Nasser Al Dhaheri will appear on Monday, January 18 to reflect on his career and his 2015 award-winning documentary