Shortlists have been selected for the Sheikh Zayed Book Award, which is organized by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre under the auspices of the Department of Culture and Tourism, Abu Dhabi, and honors authors and institutions and showcases the breadth and reach of Arab culture around the world. To see the shortlisted titles in seven categories, click here.
Dr. Ali bin Tamim, secretary-general of the award and chairman of Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre, said: "We are delighted to unveil this year's shortlist, which exemplifies excellence in contemporary academic, fiction, and nonfiction literature relating to the Arab world. Throughout the rigorous submissions and evaluation process for this prestigious award, we have witnessed wide-ranging and thought-provoking subject matter, highlighting the depth, creativity, and scholarly rigor of the contemporary Arab publishing community. It is with great pride that we present this remarkable shortlist, offering a glimpse into the cultural richness and intellectual vitality of today's Arab literary landscape."
Winners will be announced at the end of March, and the award ceremony takes place April 30 during the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair. Winners each receive 750,000 UAE dirhams (about $204,200), while the cultural personality will receive 1 million UAE dirhams (about $272,270).
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The longlist has been selected for the Carol Shields Prize for Fiction, which honors "novels, short story collections, and graphic novels written by women and non-binary authors and published in the U.S. and Canada." The winner will receive $150,000 and a residency at Fogo Island Inn, and the four finalists each receive $12,500. The shortlist will be announced April 9 and the winner May 13.
The longlist:
Cocktail: Stories by Lisa Alward (Biblioasis)
Birnam Wood: A Novel by Eleanor Catton (McClelland & Stewart)
Dances: A Novel by Nicole Cuffy (One World)
Daughter: A Novel by Claudia Dey (Doubleday Canada)
Coleman Hill by Kim Coleman Foote (SJP Lit)
Brotherless Night by V.V. Ganeshananthan (Random House)
Between Two Moons by Aisha Abdel Gawad (Doubleday)
Loot: A Novel by Tania James (Alfred A. Knopf)
You Were Watching from the Sand: Short Stories by Juliana Lamy (Red Hen Press)
The Future by Catherine Leroux, translated by Susan Ouriou (Biblioasis)
I Have Some Questions for You: A Novel by Rebecca Makkai (Viking)
A History of Burning: A Novel by Janika Oza (McClelland & Stewart)
A Council of Dolls: A Novel by Mona Susan Power (Mariner Books)
Chrysalis: Stories by Anuja Varghese (House of Anansi)
Land of Milk and Honey: A Novel by C Pam Zhang (Riverhead Books)