Organizers of the International Prize for Arabic Fiction have announced their longlist for the 2021 edition, including these titles and more.
‘Hole to Heaven’
Abdulla Al-Ayyaf, CEO of the Saudi Film Commission, is an award-winning Saudi writer and filmmaker. His book tells spiritual stories about different characters in a village.
‘M for Murderer: S for Sa’id’
Kuwaiti writer Abdullah Al-Busais’s book is about a detective who reopens a murder case after he discovers new hints that could lead him to identify the culprit.
‘The Orchards of Basra’
Egyptian writer Mansoura Ez Eldin’s fifth novel revolves around a young manuscripts dealer who imagines himself as an eighth-century character to retell his experience of unfairness and defeat.
‘The Life of Butterflies’
Moroccan writer Youssef Fadel’s book starts with Salem, a famous musician who goes to a radio station to record a song. Soldiers then suddenly enter and ask Salem to read a military notice.
‘Two Green Eyes’
Sudanese author Hamed al-Nazir tells the story of Urfa, who is imprisoned in military camps in Sudan and brutally assaulted.
‘The Bird Tattoo’
Iraqi author Dunya Mikhail’s book is based on real events that occurred in Daesh-occupied areas in 2014.
