Shouman Relives the Journey of the "Arabian Booker" in Two Decades of Novel

The meeting addressed the journey of the award since its inception, its role in the Arab novel scene, alongside the criteria for nomination and judging, and the objectives of the award in introducing the Arabic novel and reaching the global reader, in addition to the personal experiences of the participants and their relationship with the award over the past years.

Montanaro emphasized the importance of the partnership between the award and the Abdul Hameed Shoman Foundation, pointing out that the Foundation hosted on two occasions the announcement of the short list of the award, in addition to the cooperation between the two sides in a number of workshops related to creative writing and editing.

She pointed out that the award, since its inception, has contributed to enhancing the presence of the Arabic novel outside the Arab world, explaining that about 120 novels that reached the award's lists have been translated into 38 languages around the world, which reflects the widening of global interest in Arabic literature.

For her part, Al-Ajeli reviewed her experience with the award, stating that her first nomination was in the 2007 cycle for her novel "Eye of the Cat," which was published in 2006, and was nominated for it by the "Arab Foundation for Studies and Publishing." This coincided with the victory of the late Egyptian novelist Bahaa Taher with the award for his novel "Wadi Al-Ghoroub."

She added that her second experience came in 2012, when she was nominated for the award for her novel "Ajemi Carpet" through a new publisher, thereby continuing her relationship with the award and her journey in the Arab novel scene.

For his part, novelist Mohamed Samir Nada talked about his experience with the award, indicating that his follow-up to it allowed him to get to know new novels and literary names from different parts of the Arab world, and created a space for communication between the diverse Arab narrative experiences.

Nada affirmed that the function of the writer is not to impose his opinion on the reader, but to illuminate the facts and raise questions that open the field for reflection and discussion, emphasizing the importance of restoring historical facts and confronting what the collective consciousness has been subjected to distortion or defamation.

Shahla Al-Ajeli is one of the prominent names in contemporary Arabic novel, story, and criticism, and she is a professor of Modern Literature and Cultural Studies at the American University of Madaba, and she has previously lectured at global universities, including Harvard, Georgetown, and Cornell.

Her novel "Sky Close to Our House" reached the short list of the International Prize for Arabic Fiction in 2015, and her novel "Summer with the Enemy" reached the short list in 2019. Her novel "Eye of the Cat" won the Jordanian State Prize in Literature in 2010, while her short story collection "Bed of the King's Daughter" won the Short Story Forum Prize in 2017.

Al-Ajeli's works also reached the short list of the Banipal Prize for Translated Literature in London in 2021, and she recently published the novel "Room of Hanna Diab" in 2025, in addition to a number of works in criticism and literary studies, most notably "Cultural Specificity in the Arabic Novel," "The Aesthetic Identity of the Arabic Novel/ A Post-Colonial Vision," and "The Arabic Dystopia Novel/ Cultural Context and Artistic Features."

As for Mohamed Samir Nada, he is an Egyptian novelist who won the International Prize for Arabic Fiction in 2025 for his novel "Salat Al-Qalq," which blends history, fiction, and fantasy, and revisits national and historical wounds, with the use of music, singing, multiple voices, and unconventional narrative techniques.

Three novels have been published for Nada: "Kingdom of Malika" in 2016, "Whispers of the Walls" in 2021, and "Salat Al-Qalq" in 2024.

Flora Montanaro has been in charge of coordinating the International Prize for Arabic Fiction since 2011. She holds a Master's degree in English Literature from Oxford University, a Bachelor's degree in Arabic from the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London, and a diploma in translation from the Institute of Linguists in Britain.

The dialogue was moderated by Yassin Adnan, a Moroccan writer and media figure and a member of the Board of Trustees of the International Prize for Arabic Fiction, who has published works in poetry, story, travel, and novel, including the novel "Hot Maroc" which was published in several editions and translated into English, French, and Italian.