The Sheikh Zayed Book Award seeks to commemorate the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Founding President of the UAE and Ruler of Abu Dhabi, for his role in “promoting national unity and development.”


Each year, the Sheikh Zayed Book Award committee awards outstanding Arab writers, intellectuals, publishers, and young writers whose “writing and translation in humanities objectively enriches Arab intellectual, cultural, literary and social life.” The winners get a gold medal, a certificate of merit, and 750,000 dirhams.


Arab writers are nominated in different category: Cultural Personality of the Year, Children’s Literature, Young Author, Contribution to the Development of Nations, Translation, Literature, Literary and Art Criticism, Arab Culture in Other Languages, and Publishing and Technology.


For its 15th edition, the Sheikh Zayed Book Award has announced the shortlists for the ‘Literature’, ‘Young Author’ and ‘Children’s Literature’ categories. The nine shortlisted writer hail from Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Tunisia, Palestine, and Lebanon.


Shortlisted writers in Literature category are:
• Aan Ta’ashaq Al Hayat (To Love Life) (2020) by Alawiya Sobh (Lebanon), published by Dar Al Adab Publishing & Distribution.
• Ghorfat Al Mosafreen (The Passengers Hall) (2020) by Ezzat El-Kamhawi (Egypt), published by Al Dar Al Masriah Al Lubnaniah
• Fee Athar Enayat Al Zayyat (In the Footsteps of Enayat Al-Zayyat) (2019) by Iman Mersal (Egypt), published by Al Kotob Khan Library.
Children’s Literature:
• Hadyqat Al Zomorrod (The Emerald Garden) by Raja Malah (Morocco) (2019), published by Dar AlMoualef Publishing and Distribution/ Maalem Printing, Publishing and Distribution.
• Rehlat Fannan (An Artist’s Journey) (2020) by Mizouni Bannani (Tunisia), published by Dar Al Mua’nasa Publishing.
• Al Ghool wa Nabtat Al Olayq (The Beast and the Blackberry) (2019) by Naseeba Alozaibi (United Arab Emirates), published by Dar Ashjar Publishing and Distribution.
Young Author:
• Laylat Yalda (Yalda Night) (2018) by Ghada Al-Absi (Egypt), published by Dar Al Tanweer
• Ma Tarkto Khalfy (What I left Behind) (2020) by Shatha Mustafa (Palestine), published by Nofal/Hachette Antoine.
• Eshkalyat Al Thaat Al Saredah Fee Al Rwayah Al Nesaayah Al Saudiah (The Problems of the Narrated Self in the Saudi Feminist Novel (1999 – 2012) (Critical Study) (2020) by Dr. Asma Muqbil Awad Alahmadi, published by Arab Scientific Publishers Inc.


The winners for each category will be honored during a virtual ceremony in May.
The Award will announce the shortlists for the remaining categories over the next few weeks.

Afreecan Read congratulates the shortlisted writers.