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The longlist for the 2012 International Prize for Arabic Fiction 2012 is announced, 10 November 2011.

The 2012 longlist  of the International Prize for Arabic Ficiton, with author names in alphabetical order, is as follows:

Fadi Azzam, Syria : Sarmada (Thaqafa)

Rashid al-Daif, Lebanon : Paving the Sea (Riyad al-Rayyes)                      

Jabbour Douaihy, Lebanon : The Vagrant (Dar al-Nhar)

Ezzedine Choukri Fishere, Egypt : Embrace on Brooklyn Bridge (Dar al-Ain)

Rabee Jaber, Lebanon : The Druze of Belgrade (Al-Markez al-Thaqafi al-Arabi)

Nasr Iraq, Egypt : The Unemployed (Al-Dar al-Masriya al-Lubnaniya)

Bashir Mufti, Algeria : Toy of Fire (Al-Ikhtilef)

Hawra al-Nadawi, Iraq/Denmark : Under the Copenhagen Sky (Dar al-Saqi)

Sharbel Qatan, Lebanon : Suitcases of Memory (Naufel)

Mohamed al-Refai, Egypt : Nocturnal Creatures of Sadness (Dar Merit)

Habib Selmi, Tunisia : The Women of al-Basatin (Dar al-Adab)

Ibrahim al-Zaarur, Jordan : The Amazing Journey of Khair al-Din ibn Zard (Dar Fada'at)

Youssef Ziedan, Egypt : The Nabatean (Dar al-Shorouq)

The longlist of 13 novels in contention for the International Prize for Arabic Fiction 2012 is announced today, Thursday 10 November 2011. The contenders for the leading literary prize were selected from 101 entries from 15 countries published in the last 12 months.

The longlisted authors come from seven countries, with four authors a piece from Lebanon and Egypt. Syria, Algeria, Iraq, Tunisia and Jordan are each represented by one author. This year a number of the longlisted novels deal with the theme of the Lebanese war, whilst other common themes include displacement – both for expatriate Arabs and those who have lost loved ones in childhood – and the challenge of rediscovering one’s roots and identity.

Youssef Ziedan, who won the Prize in 2009 with Azazel, makes it onto this year’s longlist with The Nabatean. He is joined by three other previously shortlisted authors: Jabbour Douaihy (June Rain, 2008); Habib Selmi (The Scents of Marie-Claire, 2009) and Rabee Jaber (America, 2010). Ezzedine Choukri Fishere was longlisted for the Prize in 2009 for Intensive Care.

These books were selected by a panel of five specialists in the field of Arabic literature. The judges’ names will be announced in Cairo on Wednesday 7 December 2011, at the same time as the 2012 shortlist. 

For more information on the prize in English click here

And in Arabic click here