The Sheikh Zayed Book Award has announced the short-listed works contending to win the prize across its categories, out of a total of 1,191 nominations received in the Award’s 12th Edition 2017/2018.
The announcement follows meetings held by the Award’s Scientific Committee to assess the detailed reports of the judges’ panels per category evaluating long-listed works.
The selected works in “Literature” include four narrative works: ‘yakfi annana ma’an’ (At Least We are Together) by Egyptian writer Ezzat el-kamhawi, published by Al Dar Al Masriah Al Lubnaniah, Cairo (2017); in addition to two more titles published by Nofal- Hachette Antoine, Beirut, namely ‘ikhtibar al-nadam’ (Remorse Test) by Syrian novelist Khalil Sweileh (2017); and ‘al -shaytan yoheb ahyanan’ (The Devil May Love Sometimes) by Saudi author Zainab Hifni, published in 2017; and “anaqeed al-ratheelah’ (Grapes of Vice) by Mauritanian novelist Ahmad Hafid, published by Arab Scientific Publishers Inc., Beirut, 2016.
As for titles under “Children’s Literature”, the list named ‘jada’el khadra’a’ (Green Braids) by Syrian author Muhannad Al-Aqous, published by Kalimat, 2017; ‘ana salma’ (I am Salma) by Syrian author Lina Hawyan Al-Hasan, published by Hakayaa, Beirut, 2017; and ’al-dinoraf’ (The Dynoraf) by Emirati author Hessa Almehairi, published by Al Hudhud Publishing and Distribution, UAE, 2017.
In the “Young Author” Category, the Award selected two novels and one scholarly study; ‘reih al-sharki’ (The winds of sharki) by Moroccan author Mohsine Loukili, published by Dar al-Saqi, Beirut (2017); ‘amtar sayfiyyah’ (Summer Rains) by Egyptian writer Ahmad Al-Qarmalawi, published by Maktabat al-Dar al-Arabiyah lil-Kitab, Cairo (2017); and ‘al-dars al-balaghi al-arabi: bayn al-seemya’iat wa tahleel al-khitab’ (Arabic Rhetoric: from Semiotics to discourse analysis) by Algerian academic Lakhdari Saad, published by Manshourat al-Ikhtilaf, Algeria (2017).
The finalists in “Translation” include three works translated from three different languages; one title translated from English: ‘’al-thawra ‘al-rabi’a: kayf yo’eed ‘al-ghilaf ‘al-ma’lomati tashkeel ‘al-waqe’ ‘al-‘insani’ (The Fourth Revolution: How the Infosphere is Reshaping Human Reality) by author Luciano Floridi and translated by Lo’ay Abdul-Majid Al Sayyed from Egypt, published by the National Council for Culture, Arts & Literature, Kuwait, 2017; and one work translated from French: ‘tareekh ‘al-‘oloum wa falsafatuha’ (Histoire et philosophie des sciences) by author Thomas Lepeltier and translated by Dr. Mohammad Ahmad Tijjo from Syria, published by Arabic Magazine, Riyadh, 2017; and one title from German: ‘natharayya ‘astiteeqyya’ (Asthetische Theorie), by author Theodor W. Adorno and translated by Naji Al ‘Awnali form Tunisia, published by Al-Jamal Publications, Beirut 2017.
As for the short-list of ‘Literary and Art Criticism’ Category, it includes: ‘fi balaghat al- hajjaj: nahwa balagha hajjajiyyah litahleel al- khitab’ (The Rhetoric of Eloquence), by Moroccan scholar Mohamed Mechbal, published by Kunooz Al Maarifa, Amman (2017); and ‘tatweer al-harf al-arabi wa tahaddiyat al- awlama’ (Developing the Arabic Letter; Challenges of Globalization) by Moroccan academic Abderrazzak Tourabi, published by Institut d'Etudes et de Recherches pour l'Arabisation - Mohammed V University, Rabat (2015), and ‘al-kitaba wa bina’a al-shi’r ‘ind Adonis’ (The Writing & Poetry of Adonis) by Tunisian scholar Omar Hfaiedh, published by Dar al- Saqi, Beirut (2015).
Under the “Arabic Culture in other Languages” Category, the list includes four works in Spanish, French, German and English, namely: “La vida de los edificios” in Spanish by Rafael Moneo; “La maîtrise de la concupiscence” in French by Mohammed Hocine Benkheira; “Die Koranische Verzauberung der Welt und ihre Entzauberung in der Geschichte” in German by Angelika Neuwirth; and finally “Success and Suppression: Arabic Sciences and Philosophy in the Renaissance” in English by Dag Nikolaus Hasse.
As for the Category of “Publishing and Cultural Technologies”, four publishing houses made it to the short list including: Dar Al Kitab Al Jadeed; Dar Al-Tanweer; and Arab Institute for Research & Publishing from Lebanon; and Les Edition Toubkal from Morocco.
The Sheikh Zayed Book Award decided to withhold the Award from “Development of Nations” category for this Edition.
The Sheikh Zayed Book Award’s list of winners for this session are scheduled for announcement next week, paving the way to the Awards’ Presentation Ceremony to celebrate the winning books on April 30th.