Longlist for Arabic Fiction prize

Abu Dhabi - The highest number of longlisted authors came from Egypt and Palestine.

The International Prize for Arabic Fiction, IPAF, has revealed the longlist of 16 novels in contention for the 2016 prize. Those selected were chosen from 159 entries from 18 countries, all published within the last 12 months. The highest number of longlisted authors came from Egypt and Palestine.
Two of this year's longlisted authors have been shortlisted for the prize previously: Rabai al-Madhoun and Mohammed Mansi Qandil both appeared on the IPAF shortlist in 2010, with Al Madhoun's book, The Lady from Tel Aviv, now available in English translation from Telegram Books. Taleb Alrefai was also Chair of Judges for IPAF that year.
The list includes a number of writers and debut novelists. Three longlisted writers are under the age of 40, and first novels by Tareq Bakari and Abdennour Mezzine have been included. In addition, two of the longlisted authors - Mohammed Rabie and Shahla Ujayli - previously participated in IPAF's annual 'nadwa', or writers' workshop, for emerging writers with promise. Ujayli worked on a section of her longlisted book, A Sky Close to Our House, during the 2014 nadwa. - Wam