Doha, Qatar: The Katara Cultural Village Foundation (Katara) has announced the shortlist of nine works for the 12th edition of the Katara Prize for Arabic Novel across the categories of published novels, unpublished novels, unpublished young adult novels, unpublished historical novels, published Qatari novels, and unpublished critical studies.
A total of 45 novels and nine critical studies were shortlisted for the prize. This year’s award saw a record 2,610 submissions, the highest since its inception in 2014. The shortlist of nine works in the published novels category includes novelists from six Arab countries.
Egypt leads the list with three novels, followed by Sudan with two, and one novel each from Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Syria, and Jordan. The shortlist of nine novels in the unpublished novels category included novelists from eight Arab countries. Palestine topped the list with two novels, followed by Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Algeria, Yemen, Syria, Jordan, and Tunisia with one novel each.
The shortlist of nine novels in the unpublished young adult novels category included novelists from four Arab countries. Egypt and Algeria led the list with three novels each, followed by Morocco with two, and Yemen with one.
The shortlist of nine novels in the unpublished critical studies category included critics from five Arab countries. Egypt and Morocco led the list with three critical studies each, followed by Jordan, Palestine, and Yemen with one.
The shortlist of nine novels in the historical novels category included novelists from five Arab countries. Egypt led the list with five novels, followed by Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, and Yemen with one.
As for the Qatari novel category, approximately 11 novels were submitted to the Katara Prize for Arabic Novel in its twelfth edition, and one winner will be selected.
The names of the novelists, the titles of the novels, and the critical studies were published in the list of 9 for the aforementioned categories in alphabetical order on the Katara Prize for Arabic Fiction website.
