Haruki Murakami has been named cultural personality of the year for the 2025 Sheikh Zayed Book Award.
The acclaimed Japanese author, renowned for his bestselling novels such as Norwegian Wood and Kafka on the Shore, will receive the honour during a ceremony held as part of the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair from April 26 to May 5.
The Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre, which administers the award, praised Murakami for his global literary influence. In a statement, it highlighted the widespread translation of his works into major languages, including Arabic, and commended his role as a cultural bridge between East and West.
“Murakami is one of the most prominent and popular contemporary novelists, with millions of copies of his novels printed every year and translated into numerous languages, including Arabic,” the statement read.
“His literature is characterised by its universality, expressing human concerns that transcend cultural boundaries, with a unique blend of Japanese literature and international influences. His writings are renowned for their ability to explore issues of identity, belonging and individual freedom in a distinctive narrative style that combines realism and fantasy.”
Murakami joins other illustrious figures who have received the cultural personality of the year award, including Palestinian poet Salma Khadra Jayyusi and Moroccan philosopher Abdallah Laroui. He is set to receive a gold medal, a Dh1 million cash prize, and a certificate of appreciation.
Murakami leads this year’s list of Sheikh Zayed Book Award winners, which span both literary and academic fields. Lebanese–French author Hoda Barakat has won the literature category for her novel Hind or the Most Beautiful Woman in the World. Moroccan writer Latifa Labsir’s The Phantom of Dabiha will be awarded the children’s literature prize, while Italy’s Marco Di Branco has won the translation category for Orsious by Paulus Orosius, which he translated from Arabic to English.
Other figures to be honoured at the ceremony include Emirati academic Mohammed Bechari, whose book The Right to Strive: Perspectives on Muslim Women’s Rights won in the Contribution to the Development of Nations category. UK researcher Andrew Peacock will be recognised in the Arab culture in other languages category for his book Arabic Literary Culture in Southeast Asia in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries.
All winners, with the exception of the cultural personality of the year, will receive a Dh750,000 cash prize, along with a gold medal and a certificate of appreciation.
“I congratulate the winners of the 19th edition of the Sheikh Zayed Book Award for their outstanding achievements, which have contributed to the enrichment of the Arab and international cultural scene,” said Ali bin Tamim, chairman of the Arabic Language Centre and secretary general of the Sheikh Zayed Book Award.
“Their works were inspiring, tackling new and distinguished topics that delve deep into the human condition and shed light on time and history, which made them stand out to the Award organisers and earn their admiration.
“This year’s edition recorded unprecedented competition, reflecting the pioneering and prestigious status of the award, which, over the past year, was able to attract distinguished literary and scientific works that have made valuable contributions to the Arab, regional, and global libraries.”
