Six Novels Make 2014 ‘Prix de la Littérature Arabe’ Shortlist

Six titles were on the shortlist for the second annual “Prix de la littérature arabe,” co-sponsored by the  Jean-Luc Lagardère Foundation and the Arab World Institute:

The prize recognizes “an emerging writer from a member country of the Arab League who has written a work (a novel or a collection of short stories or poems) published in French, or translated from Arabic to French, relating to the theme of Arab youth. The winner of the award receives €10,000.”

Last year, the talented Jabbour Douaihy won the prize for his St. George Was Looking Away, ( شريد المنازل), which was translated by Stephanie Dujols. Douaihy is one of this year’s judges, along with a number of other celebrated authors, including Moroccan novelists Mahi Binebine and Fouad Laroui.

This year’s jury has selected:

 1. Alger, le cri, de Samir Toumi (Éd. Barzakh) ;

2. Jiwel ou l’alchimie du bonheur, d’Abd-el-Kader Benatia (Éd. Casbah) ;

3. Ordonnances et confidences, de Reem Laghrari Benmehrez (Éd. La croisée des chemins) ;

4. Les gardiens de l’air, de Rosa Yassin Hassan (Actes Sud) ;

5. La traversée du K.-O., de Mohamed al-Fakharany (Seuil) ;

6. Le Job, de Réda Dalil (Éd. Le Fennec).

Algerian author Samir Toumi discussses Alger, le cri in an interview with Babzman; Algerian writer Abdel Kader Benatia is also a painter and a poet; Syrian novelist Rosa Yassin Hassan has been shortlisted for Germany’s Coberg Rückert Prize and was longlisted for the International Prize for Arabic Fiction; Egyptian writer Mohamed al-Fakharany has previously won the Youssef Idris Short Story Award; Moroccan writer Reda Dalil (@REDADALIL) also edits Le Temps.

The winner is set to be announced on Nov. 26.