Key Dates
The International Prize for Arabic Fiction (IPAF) is the most prestigious and important literary prize in the Arab world.
Its aim is to reward excellence in contemporary Arabic creative writing and to encourage the readership of high quality Arabic literature internationally through the translation and publication of winning and shortlisted novels in other major languages.
Extracts from the 2023 shortlisted novels are available to read online in the Book of Excerpts here.
In addition to the Prize itself, IPAF supports other literary initiatives. In 2009 IPAF launched its inaugural Nadwa (writers’ workshop) for emerging writers of fiction in Arabic.
The International Prize for Arabic Fiction is currently sponsored by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre, under the umbrella of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, and has been mentored by the Booker Prize Foundation in London.
Although the Prize is often referred to as the ‘Arabic Booker’, this is not instigated nor endorsed at all by IPAF or the Booker Prize Foundation which are two completely separate, independent organisations. IPAF is not in any way connected with The Booker Prize.
If you only read the books that everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking.
Haruki Murakami
