News : Arabic Fiction

IPAF shortlisted novels top bestseller lists at this year's Cairo Book Fair

8 February 2012

At the 43rd Cairo International Book Fair, literary works held their own against political analyses of the Arab Spring and those exposing the crimes of the former heads of state of Egypt and...

Khaled al Berry talks at Hay Festival, Cartagena

26 January 2012

Today author Khaled al Berry , who was shortlisted for IPAF in 2011, will be taking part in an event at the Hay Festival Cartagena (Columbia) alongside former IPAF administrator and current...

IPAF Administrator on Nile International TV

18 January 2012

Watch IPAF’s Administrator, Fleur Montanaro, speak about the International Prize for Arabic Fiction on Nile International’s Breakfast programme this week.

Listen to BBC Radio 4's interview from the IPAF shortlist event in Cairo

13 January 2012

On Wednesday evening, the Prize held an audience with the newly revealed 2012 judges within a courtyard of Qasr Amir Taz, a fourteenth century Mamluk palace in Old Cairo.

Shortlist Announced for International Prize for Arabic Fiction 2012

11 January 2012

JABBOUR DOUAIHY , EZZEDINE CHOUKRI FISHERE , RABEE JABER , NASSER IRAQ , BASHIR MUFTI and HABIB SELMI are today, Wednesday 11 January, announced as the six shortlisted authors for...

Q&A with Fadi Azzam

4 January 2012

We spoke to Fadi Azzam to ask about his longlisted novel Sarmada

Q&A with Ibrahim Zaarur

3 January 2012

We spoke to Ibrahim Zaarur to ask about his longlisted novel The Amazing Journey of Khair al-Din ibn Zard

Q & A with Hawra al-Nadawi

21 December 2011

We spoke to Hawra al-Nadawi to ask about her longlisted novel Under the Copenhagen Sky

Q&A with Habib Selmi

19 December 2011

Q&A with Habib Selmi

Q&A with Rabee Jaber

19 December 2011

Q&A with Rabee Jaber

Q&A with Charbel Kattan

16 December 2011

Q&A with Charbel Kattan

IPAF authors recognised with awards from Hana Wakim and English PEN

14 December 2011

IPAF 2012 longlisted novel The Vagrant ( also known as Chased Away ), by Lebanese author Jabbour Douaihy , has been awarded the Hanna Wakim Prize.

2012 longlisted novel published in English by Swallow Editions

13 December 2011

IPAF 2012 longlisted novel, Sarmada by Fadi Azzam , has been published in English by Swallow Editions , a new not-for-profit publishing initiative that aims to publish the best...

Q&A with Youssef Ziedan

8 December 2011

Q&A with Youssef Ziedan

Mohammed Achaari at New York University

8 December 2011

Watch this year’s joint IPAF winner Mohammed Achaari talk to Sinan Antoon at New York University Abu Dhabi in Washington Square.

Q&A with Bashir Mufti

2 December 2011

Q&A with Bashir Mufti

Nadwa participant Waleed Hashem interviewed by New York book magazine Publishing Trendsetter

30 November 2011

Bahraini novelist Waleed Hashem took part in the IPAF nadwa last month in Abu Dhabi.

Q&A with Nasser Iraq

30 November 2011

Q&A with Nasser Iraq

Q&A with Ezzedine Choukry Fishere

28 November 2011

Q&A with Ezzedine Choukry Fishere

Q&A with Jabbour Douaihy

28 November 2011

Q&A with Jabbour Douaihy

Ali Bader's The Tobacco Keeper translated into English by Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation Publishing

25 November 2011

Ali Bader’s The Tobacco Keeper, which was longlisted for the International Prize for Arabic Fiction (IPAF) in 2009, will be published by BQFP on 5 December 2011

Host of IPAF authors participate in Sharjah International Book Fair

17 November 2011

The 2011 Sharjah International Book Fair, which opened yesterday, will feature a large number of IPAF authors as part of its cultural programme.

Longlist Announced for International Prize for Arabic Fiction 2012

10 November 2011

The longlist of 13 novels in contention for the International Prize for Arabic Fiction 2012 is announced.

Two further IPAF shortlisted novels to be translated into English

9 November 2011

Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation Publishing are to publish the English translation of June Rain by Jabbour Douaihy, whilst the Pearson African Writers’ Series has confirmed it will translate...

Raja Alem joins former judges for IPAF discussion at Manchester Literature Festival

2 November 2011

On 23 October Raja Alem, joint winner of the International Prize for Arabic Fiction 2011, joined former judges Ghalia Qabbani Paul Starkey to talk at the Manchester Literature...

Promising new writers travel to Abu Dhabi for IPAF workshop

21 October 2011

Next Monday, 24 October, will see the start of the third IPAF nadwa , a writers’ workshop in Abu Dhabi for emerging Arab writers from across the Middle East.

Raja Alem secures English language publisher

20 September 2011

Raja Alem, joint winner of the International Prize for Arabic Fiction 2011, has secured an English language translation for her winning novel The Doves’ Necklace.

Raja Alem and Mohammed Achaari to appear at Berlin Literature Festival this weekend

8 September 2011

Raja Alem and Mohammed Achaari will each take part in an event at the Berlin literature festival, Internationales Literaturfestival Berlin (September 7-17), this Sunday.

IPAF authors to take part in festivals throughout the autumn

15 August 2011

IPAF authors will take part in a series of international literary festivals and events in the coming weeks.

Egyptian authors share their rules for writing

19 July 2011

Eight Egyptian novelists, including IPAF shortlisted authors Mansoura Ez Eldin , Khaled al-Berry and Miral al-Tahawy , have shared their tips for writing with Egyptian newspaper Al-Masry...

IPAF 2011 winners speak at the London Literature Festival

12 July 2011

The joint winners of the International Prize for Arabic Fiction 2011, Raja Alem and Mohammed Achaari , took part in a talk at the London Literature Festival on Saturday. Their event took...

Submissions closed for 2012 Prize!

1 July 2011

Submissions have now closed for the International Prize for Arabic Fiction 2012. To find out when the 2012 longlist, shortlist and winner will be announced, watch this space...

IPAF winner Raja Alem interviewed on Uprising, Mecca and Nabokov

29 June 2011

Run Riot magazine interviews this year's IPAF winner Raja Alem. Visit the website to read the full interview.

2011 winners to appear at the International Festival of Literature in Berlin

24 June 2011

IPAF 2011 winners Mohammed Achaari and Raja Alem are to take part in the 11 th International Festival of Literature Berlin, which takes place in the German capital from 7-17 September...

One week until submission deadline for 2012 prize!

21 June 2011

Publishers hoping to have novels considered by the 2012 judges must submit copies of their chosen titles to the Prize’s administrator, Fleur Montanaro, by Thursday 30 June 2011.

London celebrates Arabic culture in July with Shubbak Festival

14 June 2011

Taking ‘Shubbak’ as its name, London will host its first month-long festival celebrating contemporary Arabic culture.

Harvill Secker Young Translator's Prize focuses on Arabic

10 June 2011

A short story by IPAF shortlisted writer Mansoura Ez Eldin has been chosen as the focus of the Harvill Secker Young Translators' Prize, which centres on Arabic in 2011.

Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation Publishing to publish two IPAF winners in English

11 April 2011

Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation Publishing have today announced that they will publish two winning IPAF titles in 2012: Mohammed Achaari’s The Arch and the Butterfly (joint winner of IPAF...

Andrew Nurnberg Associates to represent Raja Alem

8 April 2011

Literary agent Andrew Nurnberg Associates International has announced that it will represent 2011 joint winner Raja Alem.

The Arch and the Butterfly and The Doves' Necklace announced as joint winners of International Prize for Arabic Fiction 2011

14 March 2011

The Arch and the Butterfly by Mohammed Achaari and The Doves’ Necklace by Raja Alem are today, Monday 14 March, announced as joint winners of the International Prize for Arabic...

Events in Abu Dhabi with 2011 authors

9 March 2011

Three events will be taking place in Abu Dhabi with some of the shortlisted authors and the soon-to-be announced winning author.

Emerging Arab Voices: first nadwa literary event in London

28 February 2011

Last week, IPAF and Saqi Books hosted a panel discussion at the Mosaic Rooms in Kensington to celebrate the UK publication of Emerging Arab Voices , a collection of writing from the...

Emerging Arab Voices: IPAF to celebrate the first nadwa publication at London literary event

9 February 2011

In November 2009, the International Prize for Arabic Fiction organised a workshop, or nadwa , for eight critically-acclaimed writers from Egypt, Sudan, Tunisia, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, United...

Sunset Oasis is runner-up for the 2011 Saif Ghobash-Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary Translation

19 January 2011

Humphrey Davies’ translation of the 2008 International Prize for Arabic Fiction winner, Sunset Oasis by Bahaa Taher, has been announced as runner-up in this years’ Saif...

Sunset Oasis longlisted for International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award

15 November 2010

The English translation of Sunset Oasis by Bahaa Taher, winner of the inaugural International Prize for Arabic Fiction, has been longlisted for 2011 IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. It is up...

Longlist Announced for International Prize for Arabic Fiction 2011

11 November 2010

The Judges of the International Prize for Arabic Fiction 2011 today, Thursday 11 November 2010, announce the longlist contenders for the Prize, one of the most prestigious and important...

IPAF gives voice to emerging Arab authors through second Nadwa workshop

18 October 2010

Workshop to produce seven new pieces of Arabic fiction for Middle East distribution and subsequent translation Today, Monday 18 October, marks the start of the second annual Nadwa, a...

Winner: Spewing Sparks as Big as Castles by Abdo Khal

2 March 2010

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Tuesday 2 March 2010 – The winner of the 2010 International Prize for Arabic Fiction (IPAF) is SPEWING SPARKS AS BIG AS CASTLES by ABDO KHAL, published by...