The shortlist for the 2020 International Prize for Arabic Fiction has been announced, with six Arab authors up for the coveted award.
‘Fardeqan – The Detention of the Great Sheikh’ — Youssef Ziedan
The Egyptian scholar’s novel explores the life of a Muslim polymath, Avicenna, whose work has had a profound influence over the past thousand years.‘The King of India’ — Jabbour Douaihy
The book, by the Lebanese author, tells the story of a man whose body was found at the boundary of his village after he had just returned from exile.‘The Spartan Court’ — Abdelouahab Aissaoui
Algerian author’s novel follows the interconnected lives of five characters who have different attitudes to the Ottoman and French colonial powers, from 1815 to 1833.‘The Russian Quarter’ — Khalil Alrez
The author’s book tells the story of a neighborhood which, for many years, resisted being dragged into the war going on around it, but finally enters the war with stories rather than weapons.‘Firewood of Sarajevo’ — Said Khatibi
In the Algerian novelist’s book, he compares and contrasts the destinies of Algeria and Bosnia Herzegovina during the 20the century.‘The Tank’ — Alia Mamdouh
After four decades of living in exile, Iraqi author Alia Mamdouh observes the huge changes experienced by the country in her book.
