In the eight years since its launch in Abu Dhabi, the leading literary prize for Arabic-language novels has brought global recognition and reward to the winners.
Dubbed the “Arabic Booker”, the 2015 International Prize for Arabic Fiction is an award for contemporary fiction, run with the support of the Booker Prize Foundation in Britain and funded by Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority. The winning novel – which will be revealed during a ceremony at the Hilton Capital Grand tomorrow, the eve of the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair – will be translated into English, and the author goes home with a US$50,000 (Dh183,600) prize.
Ahead of the big announcement, we caught up with the six candidates.
A Suspended Life by Atef Abu Saif (Palestine)
Atef Abu Saif, 42, was born in the Jabalia refugee camp in Gaza, where he still lives and works as a novelist, playwright, columnist, journalist and professor of political science. The four novels he wrote before A Suspended Life were published in Gaza, which Abu Saif says "locked" the books inside Gaza, in the same way that its people were locked in.
"When I finished A Suspended Life, I decided I didn't want its fate to be like the other novels, so I emailed it to a friend who got it published in Amman, Jordan," says Abu Saif. "I didn't even see the actual novel until after I was shortlisted." He received a copy only a few days ago.
Being shortlisted, says Abu Saif, has injected life into him and his previous novels, some of which he plans to get reprinted in Jordan.
A Suspended Life is set in a refugee camp in Gaza, where the death of Naim, the man who makes the martyrs' posters, causes upheaval in the lives of the camp's residents. It stems from the idea that people are born and then die during war, says Abu Saif. "Naim's death opens the tales of others in the refugee camp where he lives. It was a starting point, like a magic key that opened a whole box of tales."
Floor 99 by Jana Elhassan (Lebanon)
The youngest author on the list, Jana Elhassan, 30, is a novelist and journalist currently pursuing a master's degree in English literature. This is her second novel shortlisted for the IPAF; Me, She and the Other Women was shortlisted in 2013. In Floor 99, a young Palestinian man living in New York falls in love with a dancer whose family were once key players in the massacres during Lebanon's Civil War.
“The novel deals with the question of whether or not human beings are able to overcome their harsh circumstances,” says Elhassan.
“Getting shortlisted is very important because, as a writer, you get recognition for what you’ve done and for your work from the elite in your field. As a writer, I live in the present and in the future, which means I’m happy with what I’ve accomplished, but I’m always worried about what will happen next. Where will the next idea come from, what will I write next? I hope I will continue to challenge myself.”
The Longing of the Dervish by Hammour Ziada (Sudan)
In 19th-century Sudan, in the city of Omdurman, the end of the Mahdist War is near and a slave has been set free, but he is bent on revenge.
In his second novel, The Longing of the Dervish, Sudanese writer and journalist Hammour Ziada, 38, addresses the idea of believing in something that cannot be questioned, and an individual's relationship with the unknown.
“In my nature, I am in love with stories and a beautiful story is always my first priority. The Mahdi period in Sudan, at the end of the 19th century, is a time heavy with stories that deal well with the subject that I want to present.”
Being shortlisted, says Ziada, is a source of immense pride.
“I am the second Sudanese writer to ever get shortlisted – Dr Amir Tag Elsir was the first Sudani to be nominated – so I am so proud to represent Sudanese literature.”
The Italian by Shukri Mabkhout (Tunisia)
The ltalian is Shukri Mabkhout's first novel, but it certainly won't be his last. "I am gripped by the magic of a novel; after The Italian, I wrote two more novels," says the literary critic, editor and head of Tunisia's Manouba University. The 53-year-old's book is set in Tunis and tells the story of a troubled young man who resorts to violence during his father's funeral, and the chain of events that follows.
“This novel is born out of what we have lived in Tunis after our revolution, from fears and hopes, and in it is a lot of worry and waiting,” says Mabkhout. “In Tunisia, like in other countries, there were signs that indicated this Arab Spring was coming, and nothing can express those other than the genre of a novel, so I feel the novel forced itself on me.
“So I returned to a time in Tunisian society and history that is very similar – the period that is the end of the era of Bourguiba and the beginning of Ben Ali’s era.
“Being shortlisted gives me so much self-confidence as a writer, and at the same time, it makes my mission in writing even harder – so that I do not disappoint those who were pleased with my first novel.”
Diamonds and Women by Lina Huyan Elhassan (Syria)
Novelist and journalist Lina Huyan Elhassan, 39, writes about women chasing their dreams. “They are women searching for freedom, they chased their personal ambitions, their dreams, whether money, or love, or success. This is our right in life,” she says.
In Diamonds and Women, Damascene women congregate in Paris and São Paulo, taking with them the customs of home – but in their own way.
“Damascus is a city of stories,” says Elhassan. “To me, Damascus is a friend, a friend full of stories, and my job is to use my imagination to add the details and embellish, like the painter completing a picture.
“Being shortlisted is like laying the roots of my presence, it is an affirmation of my work. It is an academic acknowledgement of my literary strength, from the relevant cultural society, and a crowning of my literary journey after seven novels. Of course it gives me motivation, but no matter what, I would still write. I was put on this Earth to write.”
Willow Alley by Ahmed El Madini (Morocco)
A novelist, academic and literary critic, Ahmed El Madini, 68, has won numerous prestigious literary prizes in Morocco.
He describes Willow Alley as a look at the individual's right to exist. In a Moroccan town, down a narrow alley, the suffering of a stray dog mirrors that of the alley's residents, because the weak and the poor are powerless when exploitation and injustice exist. That is the premise of Willow Alley.
“The conditions of any novel, good or otherwise, will be different to every reader. It can arise in every reader a different reaction – humanitarian, political, social, emotional. Every reader is different, every reader has his own culture, experience, intellect, environment. Every reader will read in his own way.
“A prize does not make a writer, but this shortlist is an honour and an additional acknowledgement of a literary value from a group of like-minded artists. The writer always wishes for them to read his work and give their opinion, and when they like it and appreciate it – these respected, cultured people – any writer would be proud.”
artslife@thenational.ae
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The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Anghami
Started: December 2011
Co-founders: Elie Habib, Eddy Maroun
Based: Beirut and Dubai
Sector: Entertainment
Size: 85 employees
Stage: Series C
Investors: MEVP, du, Mobily, MBC, Samena Capital
'Spies in Disguise'
Director: Nick Bruno and Troy Quane
Stars: Will Smith, Tom Holland, Karen Gillan and Roshida Jones
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
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The bio
Favourite book: Peter Rabbit. I used to read it to my three children and still read it myself. If I am feeling down it brings back good memories.
Best thing about your job: Getting to help people. My mum always told me never to pass up an opportunity to do a good deed.
Best part of life in the UAE: The weather. The constant sunshine is amazing and there is always something to do, you have so many options when it comes to how to spend your day.
Favourite holiday destination: Malaysia. I went there for my honeymoon and ended up volunteering to teach local children for a few hours each day. It is such a special place and I plan to retire there one day.
If you go
Flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh with a stop in Yangon from Dh3,075, and Etihad flies from Abu Dhabi to Phnom Penh with its partner Bangkok Airlines from Dh2,763. These trips take about nine hours each and both include taxes. From there, a road transfer takes at least four hours; airlines including KC Airlines (www.kcairlines.com) offer quick connecting flights from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville from about $100 (Dh367) return including taxes. Air Asia, Malindo Air and Malaysian Airlines fly direct from Kuala Lumpur to Sihanoukville from $54 each way. Next year, direct flights are due to launch between Bangkok and Sihanoukville, which will cut the journey time by a third.
The stay
Rooms at Alila Villas Koh Russey (www.alilahotels.com/ kohrussey) cost from $385 per night including taxes.
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Fighting with My Family
Director: Stephen Merchant
Stars: Dwayne Johnson, Nick Frost, Lena Headey, Florence Pugh, Thomas Whilley, Tori Ellen Ross, Jack Lowden, Olivia Bernstone, Elroy Powell
Four stars
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
FINAL RESULT
Sharjah Wanderers 20 Dubai Tigers 25 (After extra-time)
Wanderers
Tries: Gormley, Penalty
cons: Flaherty
Pens: Flaherty 2
Tigers
Tries: O’Donnell, Gibbons, Kelly
Cons: Caldwell 2
Pens: Caldwell, Cross
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
