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International Prize for Arabic Fiction 2009

16 March 2009
Abu Dhabi

Youssef Ziedan received the 2009 International Prize for Arabic Fiction for his novel Azazeel (Beelzebub) during a gala ceremony at the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair. The prize, which increasingly is referred to as the Arabic Booker, was launched in April 2007 by ISD in partnership with the Booker Prize Foundation and the Emirates Foundation.

 

The award’s prestige continues to grow and is now highly respected amongst literary critics, publishers and writers across the world. The presenter of the award and Chair of the trustees Jonathan Taylor said "We are tremendously pleased with the warm response and excitement that the award is now generating." The 2008 prize was awarded to Baha Taher for Sunset Oasis.

 

This year's judging panel were Youmna el Eid (Lebanon), Rasheed el-Enany (Egypt), Hartmut Faehndrich (Germany), Mohammad al Murr (UAE) and Fakhri Saleh (Jordan) who resoundingly chose Youssef Ziedan's powerful and provocative work. Azazeel, set in Upper Egypt and Northern Syria, portrays the internal doctrinal conflicts within the Christian church after the Roman Empire's conversion to Christianity in the Fifth century AD, marking one of the most turbulent periods in the religion's history.

 

The novel has sparked controversy in Egypt, attracting criticism from the Coptic Church who have accused Ziedan of subverting Christian doctrine and their religious leadership. Youssef has refuted these allegations, insisting that he only wished to provide an alternative description of Egyptian history before the arrival of Islam and illustrate its close relationships - and harmony - with Christianity.

 

Youssef Ziedan is a specialist in Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies, although he is most famous for his passion to promote and preserve Arab heritage and culture, notably working for UNESCO, the Arab League and ESCWA.

 

The other short listed candidates for this year's prize were Hunger by Mohammad Al-Bisatie, The Unfaithful Translator (Fawwaz Haddad), The American Granddaughter, (Inaam Kachachi), Time of the White Horses (Ibrahim Nasrallah) and The Scents of Marie-Claire (Habib Selmi).

 

Interview with Youssef Ziedan.