The Sheikh Zayed Book Award has announced the longlist for the ‘Literature’ category of the Award’s 14th edition (2019/2020), selecting 13 works out of 438 nominations. The majority of longlisted authors hail from UAE, Iraq, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Palestine, Egypt and Lebanon.

The ‘Literature’ longlist consists of 11 novels and two works of poetry.

The longlisted novels are: ‘Abna wa Ahtheya’ (Sons and Shoes), by Mohsen Al-Ramli (Iraq/Spain), published by Dar al-Mada in 2018; ‘Takecardia’, by Amir Taj al-Ser (Sudan), published by Hachet Antoine/Nofal in 2019; ‘Al Hai Al Hai’, by Ali Al-Shaali (UAE), issued by Dar al-Louh in 2019; ‘Khata Gher Maqsoud’ (An Unintended Mistake), written by Rachid Al-Daeef (Lebanon), published by Dar al-Saki in 2019; ‘Horob Al Rohama’ (Wars of Mercy) by Ibrahim Issa (Egypt), published by Al Karma Publishing in 2018; ‘Al Maktabah Al Sereya wa Al General’ (The Secret Library and The General), By Khairi Al-Dhahabi (Syria), published by Al-Ahliya for Publication in 2018; ‘Al-Karaki’ by Hassan Hamid (Palestine), issued by the Syrian General Authority for Books (Ministry of Culture - Syria) in 2019; and ‘Mr. Noon’ by Najwa Barakat (Lebanon), published by Dar Al Adab for Publishing and Distribution in 2019.

The following longlisted novels were published by Mamdouh Adwan Publishing and Distribution House in cooperation with Sard for Publishing: ‘Hay Al Dahsha’ (The Neighborhood of Astonishment), by Maha Hassan (Syria/France), published in 2018; ‘Ma’wa Al Gheyab’ (Shelter of Absence), by Mansoura Ezzedine (Egypt), published in 2018; ‘Arwah Sakhrat Al Asal’ (Souls of Honey Rocks), by Mamdouh Azzam (Syria), published in 2018.

The list also includes two poetic works: ‘Belkas ma Qabl Al Akheera’ (The Penultimate Cup), by Moncef Al-Wahaibi (Tunisia), issued by Meskeliani Publishing and Distribution in 2019; and ‘Althe’b wa ma Akhfa’: (Taleh Rashaeya: Al Ghazalah wa Al Zelzal) (The Wolf and What It Hid) followed by (Rasha’yat: The Gazelle and the Earthquake), by Youssef Razuka (Tunisia), published by Zainab Publishing House in 2017.

A total of 1,900 nominations from 49 countries (22 Arab and 27 foreign countries) have been submitted for the 14th edition of the Sheikh Zayed Book Award across its nine categories. The two categories with the highest number of nominations were ‘Young Author’ (498 nominations) followed by ‘Literature’ (438).

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