The 2009 Arabic Booker Prize Shortlist Announced

On December 9^th, 2008 the names of six novels in the shortlist of the 2009 “International Prize for Arabic Fiction” (Arabic Booker) were announced in London, following meeting of the prize jury in London.

The shortlisted works include: “Hunger” by Mohammed Al Bisatti (Egyptian); “The Scents of Marie Claire” by the Al Habib Al Salmi (Tunisian); “The Unfaithful translator” by Fawwaz Haddad (Syrian); “The American Granddaughter” by the Iraqi Inaam Kachachi; “Time of White Horses” by the Palestinian Ibrahim Nasrallah and “Azazil” by Youssef Zidane (Egyptian).

Adama by Turki al-Hamad

On Monday, December 15th we meet for a discussion of Adama by Turki al-Hamad.

Turki al Hamad’s Adama is a coming-of-age tale whose central character, a young man from Saudi Arabia and budding philosopher, finds himself caught up in the struggle for change, devoting more and more of his time to a shadowy group of dissenters, even as he questions both their motives and methods. The result is an intense showdown between his love for his family, his firmly held beliefs and his yearning for social justice. Adama is the first in a trilogy.

For more information and reviews of the book, see below.

Winter 2008 Book Suggestions

More books we hope to read soon include:

• The New Year of the Revolutionary Bread Making Machine by Hassan Daoud
• Woman at Point Zero (Imra’a ‘ind Nuqtat al-Sifr) Nawal As Sadaawi
• The Last Chapter by Leila Abouzeid
• Aunt Saffiya & the Monastery ( خالتي صفية والدير ) by Bahaa Tahe
• The Secret Life of Saaed the Pessoptomist by Emile Habiby
• Black Magic by Hamdy el-Ghazzar
• Leaves of Narcissus (Awraq Al-Narjis) by Somaya Ramadan
• The Map of Love by Ahdaf Souei
  
• Hikayat: Short Stories by Lebanese Women, Edited by Roseanne Saad Khalaf