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
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