Longlist Announced for 2013 International Prize for Arabic Fiction

This year, International Prize for Arabic Fiction organizers stress that the judges — whose names will not be revealed until the shortlist comes out January 9 — “did not allow themselves to be influenced by the fame of the writer, his or her political persuasion or nationality.”

The longlist was released this morning, overshadowed by ongoing clashes in Egypt.

There are repeats on the list (Rabee Jaber’s here for the third time, Waciny Laredj, Ibrahim Nasrallah, Muhsin al-Ramli) and there are famous people (Elias Khoury, Hoda Barakat, Ibrahim Issa). But, as any year, there are books that didn’t make the list.

Specifically, titles that focused on uprisings on Dec 2010-present did not make the rolls: “Whilst the Arab Spring did feature heavily across this year’s submissions in general, the judges noted that the subject still needs some time to mature.”

There were a number of works by younger authors, including The Beaver by Mohammad Hassan Alwan, who was one of the Beirut39, also second novels by young Kuwaiti writer Saud Alsanousi and young Lebanese writer Jana Elhassan.

For now, the list. More coming throughout the day, here and at EI, isa.