Literary award · United Arab Emirates · since 2008

International Prize for Arabic Fiction

Literary prize for prose fiction. Established 2008 in United Arab Emirates.

About International Prize for Arabic Fiction

The International Prize for Arabic Fiction (Arabic: الجائزة العالمية للرواية العربية), also known as "the Arabic Booker", is regarded as the most prestigious and important literary prize in the Arab world. Its aim is to reward excellence in contemporary Arabic creative writing and to encourage the readership of high-quality Arabic literature internationally through the translation and publication of winning and shortlisted novels in other major languages. In addition to the prize itself, IPAF supports other literary initiatives. In 2009, IPAF launched its inaugural nadwa (writers' workshop) for emerging writers of fiction in Arabic. The prize is administered by the Booker Prize Foundation in London, and is currently funded by Department of Culture and Tourism, Abu Dhabi (DCT). Each year, the winner of the prize receives US$50,000, and the six shortlisted authors receive US$10,000 each.

From the Wikipedia article “International Prize for Arabic Fiction”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Recent winners

YearWinnerWinning work
2026Said Khatibi—
2025Mohamed Samir Nada—
2024Qināʻ bi-lawn al-samāʼ—
2024A Mask in The Color of the Sky—
2022Mohammed AlnaasBread on the Table of Uncle Milad
2021Longing for the Woman Next Door—
2020ʻAbd al-Wahhāb ʻĪsāwīNone
2019Hoda BarakatNone
2018Ibrahim NasrallahNone
2017Mohammed Hasan AlwanLittle Death
2016Rabai al-MadhounDestinies (novel)
2015Shukri MabkhoutAl-Talyani
2014Ahmed SaadawiFrankenstein in Baghdad

From Wikidata; the list may be incomplete for some years.

Eligibility and entering

Check the official rules of the International Prize for Arabic Fiction for the current eligibility window, accepted formats, residency or language requirements and any entry fee. For most established prizes the publisher submits on the author's behalf, often with a limit on entries per imprint.

If you are self-published, look for an explicit statement that independently published books are accepted, and budget for entry fees and copies for judges.

Sources & data