The Banipal Prize, officially the Saif Ghobash–Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary Translation, is an annual award presented to a translator (or translators) for the published English

translation Translation is the communication of the semantics, 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 English la ...

of a full-length literary work in

Arabic Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...

. The prize was established 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 dissemination of contemporary

Arabic literature Arabic literature ( / 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 (Islam), Adab'', which comes from a meaning of etiquett ...

through English translations, alongside 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. Membership of the society is open to "anyon ...

in the UK, which also oversees several other literary translation prizes. The prize is sponsored by Lioudmila Ghobash, Saeed Saif Ghobash and Maysoune Saif Ghobash in memory of HE the Late Saif Ghobash.

Winners and nominees

= winner

2006

Humphrey Davies Humphrey T. Davies (6 April 1947 – 12 November 2021) was a British translator of Arabic fiction, historical and classical texts. Born in Great Britain, he studied Arabic in college and graduate school. He worked for decades in the Arab world an ...

: ''Gate of the Sun'' by

Elias Khoury Elias Khoury (; 12 July 1948 – 15 September 2024) was a Lebanese novelist and advocate of the Palestinian cause. His novels and literary criticism have been translated into several languages. In 2000, he won the Prize of Palestine for his bo ...

* Hala Halim: ''Clamor of the Lake'' by

Mohamed el-Bisatie Mohamed el-Bisatie (; November 1937 – 14 July 2012) was an Egyptian novelist and short story writer. Life He was born in el-Gamalia, Dakahlia Governorate, overlooking the shores of Lake Manzalah in the Nile Delta. He graduated from Cairo Univers ...

Paul Starkey Paul Starkey is a British scholar and translator of Arabic literature. Life and career Starkey received his doctorate from Oxford University; the subject of his dissertation was the works of the Egyptian writer Tawfiq Hakim. He is emeritus ...

: ''Stones of Bobello'' by

Edwar al-Kharrat Edwar al-Kharrat (‎; 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 worked briefly in banking an ...

Judges:

Moris Farhi Musa Moris Farhi Order of the British Empire, MBE, Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, FRSL (5 July 1935 – 5 March 2019) was a Turkish Jews, Turkish author who was vice-president of International PEN from 2001 until his death in 2019. ...

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

, Roger Allen

2007

Farouk Mustafa 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 ...

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

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 a ...

: ''Thieves in Retirement'' by

Hamdi Abu Golayyel Hamdi Abu Golayyel (; 1968 – 12 June 2023) was an Egyptian writer. The author of several novels and collections of short stories, he is known as one of the new voices in Egyptian fiction. Among other awards, he won the Banipal Prize for Arabic ...

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 A ...

: ''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 (born 1971) 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 Aus ...

: ''The Butterfly’s Burden'' by

Mahmoud Darwish Mahmoud Darwish (; 13 March 1941 – 9 August 2008) was a Palestinians, Palestinian poet and author who was regarded as Palestine's national poet. In 1988 Darwish wrote the Palestinian Declaration of Independence, which was the formal declarat ...

* Ghassan Nasr: ''The Journals of Sarab Affan'' by

Jabra Ibrahim Jabra Jabra Ibrahim Jabra (28 August 1919 – 12 December 1994) () was an Iraqi-Palestinian author, artist and intellectual born in Adana in French-occupied Cilicia to a Syriac Orthodox Christian family. His family survived the Seyfo Genocide and f ...

* 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 is the author of seven volumes of short stories (including ''The Wiles of Men'', AUC Press, 1997), seven novels, and a play. Her wor ...

Judges:

Aamer Hussein Aamer Hussein (born 8 April 1955, Karachi) is a Pakistani criticBiography
Aamer Hussein official website. 2 ...

, Bill Swainson, Roger Allen

2009

* Samah Selim: ''The Collar and the Bracelet'' by Yahya Taher Abdullah * Michelle Hartman: ''Wild Mulberries'' by Iman Humaydan Younes * Elliott Colla: ''Gold Dust'' by Ibrahim al-Koni Judges:

Francine Stock Francine Stock (born 14 March 1958) is a British radio and television presenter and novelist, of part-French origin. Early life Born in Devon in 1958, Stock is the daughter of John Stock and his wife JeanAnne Mallet. After her early years in Edi ...

Aamer Hussein Aamer Hussein (born 8 April 1955, Karachi) is a Pakistani criticBiography
Aamer Hussein official website. 2 ...

, Roger Allen

2010

Source: *

: ''Yalo'' by

: ''Sunset Oasis'' by Bahaa Taher * Kareem James Abu-Zeid: ''Cities without Palms'' by Tarek Etayeb 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 '' Je ...

, Susan Bassnett, Elliott Colla,

Yasir Suleiman Yasir Suleiman CBE is a scholar of Arabic literature and language, and modern Middle Eastern politics. He is Emeritus Sultan Qaboos Bin Said Professor of Modern Arabic Studies at the University of Cambridge. He is a Palestinian Arab living in t ...

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 Unive ...

: ''Selected Poems'' by

Adonis In Greek mythology, Adonis (; ) was the mortal lover of the goddesses Aphrodite and Persephone. He was considered to be the ideal of male beauty in classical antiquity. The myth goes that Adonis was gored by a wild boar during a hunting trip ...

* Barbara Romaine: ''Spectres'' by

Radwa Ashour Radwa Ashour () (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 graduated from Cairo University ...

* Maia Tabet: ''White Masks'' by

Judges:

Sarah Churchwell Sarah Bartlett Churchwell (born May 27, 1970) is a professor of American Literature and Public Understanding of the Humanities at the School of Advanced Study, University of London, UK. Her expertise is in 20th- and 21st-century American literatur ...

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

, 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, Cairo ...

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 2009 to ...

: ''I Was Born There, I Was Born Here'' by Mourid Barghouti Judges:

Ruth Padel Ruth Sophia Padel FRSL FZS (born 8 May 1946) is a British poet, novelist and non-fiction author. Life She studied Greek at Oxford, where she sang in Schola Cantorum of Oxford, wrote a PhD on ancient Greek poetry, and was a Research Fellow at W ...

Esther Freud Esther Freud is a British novelist, known for her autobiographical novel '' Hideous Kinky'' (1992). She is the daughter of the painter Lucian Freud. Early life and education Born in London in 1963, Freud is the daughter of Bernardine Coverle ...

Fadhil al-Azzawi Fadhil Al Azzawi (Arabic: فاضل العزاوي; born 1940) is a prominent Iraqi poet and writer. He has published ten volumes of poetry, six novels, three books of criticism and memoir, and several translations of German literary works. He par ...

, John Peate

2013

Source: * Jonathan Wright: ''Azazeel'' by Youssef Ziedan * William Maynard Hutchins: ''A Land Without Jasmine'' by

Wajdi al-Ahdal Wajdi al-Ahdal (, born 1973) is a Yemeni novelist, short story writer and playwright. Laureate of the International Prize for Arabic Fiction (IPAF) in 2008, is known for his contemporary literary style and sometimes socially critical works, some ...

Judges:

, Hassan Abdulrazzak, Rajeev Balasubramanyam, Meike Ziervogel

2014

Source: *

Sinan Antoon Sinan Antoon () is an Iraqi poet, novelist, scholar, and literary translator. He has been described as "one of the most acclaimed authors of the Arab world." Alberto Manguel described him as "one of the great fiction writers of our time.” He is ...

: ''The Corpse Washer'' by

* Paula Haydar: ''June Rain'' by Jabbour Douaihy Longlist * ''The Mehlis Report'' by

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

, trans. Kareem James Abu-Zeid (New Directions) * ''The Arch and the Butterfly'' by Mohammed Achaari, trans. Aida Bamia (Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation Publishing) * ''Private Pleasures'' by Hamdy El-Gazzar, trans.

(AUC Press) * ''Ben Barka Lane'' by Mahmoud Saeed, trans. Kay Heikkinen (Interlink Publishing Co.) * ''Other Lives'' by Iman Humaydan, trans. Michelle Hartman (Interlink Books) * ''Throwing Sparks'' by Abdo Khal, trans. Maia Tabet and Michael K. Scott (Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation Publishing) * ''That Smell'' by

Sonallah Ibrahim Son'allah Ibrahim ( ''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 views which are expressed rather directly in his work. His novels, es ...

, trans. Robyn Creswell (New Directions) * ''House of the Wolf'' by Ezzat El Kamhawi, trans. Nancy Roberts (AUC Press) * ''New Waw'' by Ibrahim al-Koni, trans. William M. Hutchins (University of Texas Press) * ''Moon and Henna Tree'' by

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

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

Ahlem Mosteghanemi Ahlam Mosteghanemi (; born 13 April 1953, Tunisia) is an Algerian poet and writer. She was the first Algerian woman to write poetry and fiction in Arabic. She has published four novels and six anthologies, and is best known for her 1993 novel '' ...

, trans. Raphael Cohen (translator) (Bloomsbury) * ''Earth Weeps, Saturn Laughs'' by Abdulaziz al Farsi, trans. Nancy Roberts (AUC Press) * ''Gertrude'' by Hassan Najmi, trans. Roger Allen (Interlink Books) * ''Status Emo'' by Eslam Mosbah, trans. Raphael Cohen (translator) (AUC Press) * ''The Silence and the Roar'' by Nihad Sirees, 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. Wei ...

(Pushkin Press) Judges: Paul Blezard-Gymer, Lulu Norman,

, Jonathan Wright

2015

Source: *

for ''The Book of the Sultan's Seal: Strange Incidents from History in the City of Mars'' by Youssef Rakha * ''Land of No Rain'' by Amjad Nasser, 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 (New Directions, USA) * ''The Broken Mirrors: Sinalcol'' by

, trans.

(Maclehose Press, UK) * '' Diary of a Jewish Muslim'' by Kamal Ruhayyim, trans. Sarah Enany (The AUC Press, Egypt/USA) * ''Who's Afraid of Meryl Streep'' by Rashid Al-Daif, trans. Paula Haydar and Nadine Sinno (Centre for Middle Eastern Studies, University of Texas at Austin, USA) * ''French Perfume'' by Amir Tag Elsir, trans. William M. Hutchins (Antibookclub, USA) * ''Nothing More to Lose'' by

Najwan Darwish Najwan Darwish (; born December 8, 1978 in Jerusalem) is a Palestinian poet described by ''The New York Review of Books'' as "one of the foremost contemporary Arab poets". In 2009, Darwish was named as one of the Beirut39, a selection of 39 pro ...

, poetry trans. Kareem James Abu-Zeid (NY Books, USA) * ''The Iraqi Nights'' by Dunya Mikhail, 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 (; born 1966, in 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 definitely to Paris wh ...

, 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 Youssef Rakha, trans. Robin Moger (Seven Stories Press, USA) * ''Days of Ignorance'' by Laila Aljohani, trans. Nancy Roberts (Bloomsbury, UK/USA) * ''Chaos of the Senses'' by

, trans. Nancy Roberts (Bloomsbury) * ''The Lanterns of the King of Galilee'' by

Ibrahim Nasrallah Ibrahim Nasrallah (; 2 December 1954), the winner of the Arabic Booker Prize (2018), was born in 1954 to Palestinian parents who were evicted from their land in Al-Burayj, Palestine in 1948. He spent his childhood and youth in a refugee camp ...

, trans. Nancy Roberts (The AUC Press, Egypt/USA) * ''Blue Lorries'' by

, trans. Barbara Romaine (Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation Publishing) * ''Beirut, Beirut'' by

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

(Interlink, USA) * ''Monarch of the Square: an Anthology of Mohamed Zafzaf's Short Stories'' by

Mohamed Zafzaf Mohamed Zafzaf (Arabic: ; 1945 – 13 July 2001) was a Moroccan Arabic-language novelist and poet. He played a pivotal role in the development of Moroccan literature in the second half of the 20th century and, due to his contributions, came ...

, 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 Ferial Jabouri Ghazoul is an Iraqi scholar, critic, and translator. She was educated in Iraq, Lebanon, Britain, France, and the USA. She obtained her PhD in comparative literature from Columbia University in 1978. Currently, she is chair and profe ...

(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 Amjad Nasser, 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 (; born 18 November 1976) is an Egyptian actress and producer. Early life and education Mona Ali Mohamed Zaki was born in Cairo to her parents Ali Mohamed and Tahini Zaki on 18 November 1976. Her father was a university ...

(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, 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'' by Amir Tag Elsir, trans. Charis Bredin and Emily Danby (Darf Publishers, UK) * ''32'' by Sahar Mandour, trans. Nicole Fares (Syracuse University Press, USA) * ''The Automobile Club of Egypt'' by

Alaa Al Aswany Alaa Al Aswany (, ; born 26 May 1957) is an Egyptians, Egyptian writer, novelist, dentist and a founding member of the political movement Kefaya. He is based in Paris and New York where lives and teaches creative writing. Early life and career ...

, trans. Russell Harris (Canongate, UK) * ''Ali and his Russian Mother'' by Alexandra Chreiteh, trans. Michelle Hartman (Interlink Publishing, USA) * ''Telepathy'' by Amir Tag Elsir, trans. William M Hutchins (Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation Publishing, Qatar) * ''The Scarecrow'' by Ibrahim al-Koni, trans. William M Hutchins (CMES, University of Texas at Austin, USA) * ''A Portal in Space'' by Mahmoud Saeed, trans. William M Hutchins (CMES, University of Texas at Austin, USA) * ''All Faces but Mine'' by

Samih al-Qasim Samīħ al-Qāsim al Kaissy (; ; 1939 – August 19, 2014) was a Palestinian poet with Israeli citizenship whose work is well known throughout the Arab world. He was born in Transjordan and later lived in Mandatory Palestine and Israel. Befor ...

, 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, trans. Nancy Roberts (Bloomsbury Publishing, UK) * ''Whitefly'' by Abdelilah Hamdouchi, 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, trans. Jonathan Wright (Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation Publishing, Qatar) * ''The Televangelist'' by Ibrahim Essa, trans. Jonathan Wright (Hoopoe Fiction, Egypt/USA) Judges:

, 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. He has worked as a journalist for the Arabic-language literary journal Akhb ...

* ''The Dove's Necklace'' by Raja Alem, trans. Katharine Halls and Adam Talib (Duckworth) * '' No Knives in the Kitchens of This City'' by

Khaled Khalifa Khaled Khalifa (; 1 January 1964 – 30 September 2023) was a Syrian novelist, screenwriter and poet. He was nominated three times and shortlisted twice for the International Prize for Arabic Fiction (IPAF). Some of his novels have been transl ...

, trans. Leri Price (Hoopoe) * ''Limbo Beirut'' by Hilal Chouman, 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, ) 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. Awards and honours *2010 Beiru ...

, tr. Jonathan Wright (Oneworld) * ''Using Life'' by Ahmed Naji, tr.

Ben Koerber Ben is frequently used as a shortened version of the given names Benjamin, Benedict, Bennett, Benson or Ebenezer, and is also a given name in its own right. Ben meaning "son of" is also found in Arabic as ''Ben'' (dialectal Arabic) or ''bin' ...

(CMES Publications, UT Austin)

Longlist

* ''In Jerusalem and Other Poems'' by Tamim al-Barghouti, translated by

, Tamim al-Barghouti, Ahdaf Soueif (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, translated by Sanna Dhahir (CMES Publications, Univ Texas at Austin) * The American Quarter by Jabbour Douaihy, translated by Paula Haydar (Interlink Books) * The Apartment in Bab el-Louk by

Donia Maher Donia Maher (; born 14 November 1979) is an Egyptian actress, writer and artist. She was born in Cairo. After studying acting, she appeared in several theatre and film productions, culminating with her breakthrough role in Hala Lotfy's film ''Al ...

(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 (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, translated by John Peate (AUC Press) * Gaza Weddings by

, translated by Nancy Roberts (Hoopoe Fiction, AUC Press) * Farewell, Damascus by

Ghada Samman Ghadah Al-Samman (; 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 University of Damascus. She is distantly rela ...

, translated by Nancy Roberts (Darf Publishers) * Bled Dry by Abdelilah Hamdouchi, translated by Benjamin Smith (Hoopoe Fiction, AUC Press) * The Blueness of the Evening: Selected Poems of Hassan Najmi by Hassan Najmi, translated by Mbarek Sryfi and Eric Sellin (University of Arkansas Press) * Fractured Destinies by Rabai al-Madhoun, translated by

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

, translated by Maia Tabet (Hoopoe Fiction, AUC Press) Judges: Pete Ayrton, Georgia de Chamberet,

Fadia Faqir Fadia Faqir () is a Jordanian British author and academician, involved in human rights issues. She was born in Amman, Jordan, and her father is from Jordan, of the tribe Al-Ajarmah. But her mother is Circassian. Biography Faqir was born in Amman i ...

and Sophia Vasalou.

2019

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

, translated by Leri Price (

Faber & Faber Faber and Faber Limited, commonly known as Faber & Faber or simply 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, C. S. Lewis, Margaret S ...

) * ''

Celestial Bodies An astronomical object, celestial object, stellar object or heavenly body is a naturally occurring physical entity, association, or structure that exists within the observable universe. In astronomy, the terms ''object'' and ''body'' are of ...

'' 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 El ...

) * ''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 make ...

) Judges:

Ghazi Gheblawi Ghazi Gheblawi (born 1975 in Tripoli) is a Libyan physician, author, blogger, and activist who has lived in Britain since 2002. Early life and education Gheblawi grew up in Tripoli. "As one of a generation that grew up under Gaddafi's repressive ...

(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 (Oneworld) translated by

ebanon * ''The Girl with Braided Hair'' by Rasha Adly (Hoopoe Fiction), translated by Sarah Enany gypt * ''A Bed for the King’s Daughter'' by

Shahla Ujayli Shahla Ujayli (born 1976) is a Syrian fiction writer and academic. A laureate of the Al Multaqa Prize for Arabic short stories, she became notable for her short story collection ''A Bed for the King’s Daughter'' and for her novels ''Summer with ...

(Center for Middle Eastern Studies/University of Texas Press), translated by Sawad Hussain (Syria)\ * ''The Frightened Ones'' by

Dima Wannous Dima Wannous (; born 1982 in Damascus, Syria) is a Syrian literary writer and journalist. She studied French literature at Damascus University and the University of Paris - Sorbonne. She also studied translation in France and has lived in Beirut, ...

(Harvill Secker), translated by Elisabeth Jaquette (Syria) * ''God99'' by Hassan Blasim (Comma Press), translated by Jonathan Wright

2022

The shortlist was announced on 1 December 2022. The jury consisted of Charis Olszok (chair), Susheila Nasta, Katharine Halls, and Becki Maddock. The winners were announced on 12 January 2023. * (joint winner) Mohamed Kheir, ''Slipping'' (Two Lines Press, 2018) translated by Robin Moger gypt * (joint winner)

, ''The Men Who Swallowed the Sun'' (American University in Cairo/Hoopoe Books) translated by

gypt * Yassin Adnan, ''Hot Maroc'' (Syracuse University Press) translated by

Alexander E. Elinson Alexander () is a male name of Greek origin. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history. Variants listed here are A ...

orocco

2023

The shortlist was announced on 1 December 2023, with the jury consisting of Ros Schwartz (chair), Tony Calderbank, Sarah Enany, and Barbara Schwepcke. *

, ''Mister N'' (And Other Stories, 2022) translated by Luke Leafgren ebanon*

, ''The Turban and the Hat'' (Seagull Books, 2022) translated by Bruce Fudge gypt* Jabbour Douaihy, ''Firefly'' (Seagull Books, 2022) translated by Paula Haydar and Nadine Sinno ebanon* Jabbour Douaihy, ''The King of India'' (Interlink Books, 2022) translated by Paula Haydar ebanon* Bushra al-Maqtari, ''What Have You Left Behind?'' (Fitzcarraldo Editions, 2022) translated by Sawad Hussain emen* Sonia Nimr, ''Thunderbird'' (University of Texas Press, 2022) translated by M Lynx Qualey alestine

2024

Source:https://www.banipaltrust.org.uk/prize/award2024 * ''Before the Queen Falls Asleep'' by

Huzama Habayeb Huzama Habayeb ( ) is a Palestinians, Palestinian novelist, Short story, storyteller, columnist, translator, and poet who has won multiple awards such as the Mahmoud Seif Eddin Al-Erani Award for Short Stories, Jerusalem Festival of Youth Innova ...

, translated by Kay Heikkinen, published by

, 2024 * ''Edo’s Souls'' by Stella Gaitano, translated by Sawad Hussain, published by Dedalus, 2023 * ''Lost in Mecca'' by Bothayna Al-Essa, translated by Nada Faris, published by Dar Arab for Publishing and Translation, 2024 * ''Rotten Evidence'' by Ahmed Naji, translated by Katharine Halls, published by McSweeney’s, 2023 * ''Traces of Enayat'' by Iman Mersal, translated by Robin Moger, published by And Other Stories, 2023 * ''Yoghurt and Jam (or How My Mother Became Lebanese)'' by Lena Merhej, translated by Nadiyah Abdullatif and Anam Zafar, published by Balestier Press, 2023

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

2022

2023

2024

See also

References