International Prize for Arab Fiction Announced

The International Prize for Arab Fiction (IPAF) is going to hold its sixth edition in Abu Dhabi next March.The annual literary prize was launched in 2007 to enlarge the limited international availability of high quality Arab fiction. It is run with the support of the Booker Prize Foundation in London and funded by the Emirates Foundation in Abu Dhabi.

Since the first prize was awarded five years ago, the award has become a leading cultural event and is respected for its commitment to Arabic independence, integrity and freedom of speech. As an English translation of the winning novel is guaranteed for the winner, the prize also aims to bring contemporary Arab voices to an international audience, which is especially important during these times of immense change in the Arab world.

In the prize’s first year, over 130 titles from 18 different countries were submitted for judicial review, a number which has continued to grow ever since. Each shortlisted author receives US $10,000, with the winner receiving a further $50,000.

The winner of the International Prize for Arabic Fiction 2012 will be announced at an awards ceremony that will be held in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, March 27, 2012, on the eve of the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair.