2018 International Prize for Arabic Fiction Winner Ceremony

Jordanian-Palestinian author Ibrahim Nasrallah was announced on Tuesday night as the eleventh winner of the International Prize for Arabic Fiction for his novel The Second War of the Dog, published by Arab Scientific Publishers.

The announcement was made by Chair of Judges Jordanian writer and academic Ibrahim Saafin at a ceremony on the eve of the opening of the Abu Dhabi Book Fair. Earlier in the ceremony, Chair of the Board of Trustees Professor Yasir Suleiman and IPAF Administrator Fleur Montanaro gave welcoming speeches in which they also congratulated former IPAF winner Ahmed Saadawi for being the first Arab writer to reach the shortlist of the Man Booker International Prize with the English translation of his novel Frankenstein in Baghdad.

© Khéridine Mabrouk / IPAF 

In his speech, Saafin briefly talked about the shortlisted novels indicating that they were all experimental - entailing mythological and fantastical, as well as realistic, dimensions, and carrying within them questions about reality, life, existence and fate. Then each of the six shortlisted authors was honoured as short films were screened in which they talked about their lives and read excerpts from their novels. Each of the finalists will receive $10,000.

Following the ceremony, Nasrallah joined Suleiman, Saafin and Montanaro in a press conference where he was congratulated by the public and answered questions from journalists.

© Khéridine Mabrouk / IPAF 

In addition to winning $50,000, Ibrahim Nasrallah is guaranteed funding for the English translation of The Second War of the Dog, as well as an expected increase in book sales and international recognition.