Mohammed Jaafar and Mansoura Ez-Eldin are on the Almultaqa Short Story Prize 2018 shortlist announced on November 1, 2018.
The Kuwait based AlMultaqa Prize launched in December 2015 is a partnership between the American University in Kuwait and a cultural circle led by Kuwaiti writer Taleb Alrefai. The prize for short stories worth $20,000 has been won previously by Mazen Maarouf (2016) and Shahla Ujayli (2017).
This year there were 197 entries with 170 individuals and 27 publishing houses hoping to make the cut. Those who would be judging the prize would be chaired by Dr Suad Al-Anezi (Kuwait) who would be supported by Dr Abdeldaem Al-Salami (Tunisia), Amir Taj Al-Sur (Sudan), Dr Najem Abdullah Kathem (Iraq), and Mohammed Al-Abbas (Saudi Arabia).
In October the longlist was announced and two African writers make the cut in Algerian writer Mohammed Jaafar for The Invention of Pain and Egyptian novelist and short-story writer Mansoura Ez-Eldin for A Haven for Absence. The two collections would both make it to the shortlist announced November 1.
The competition winner will be announced in December, 2018 during a ceremony organized by American University Kuwait where the winner will receive the cash prize of $20,000, in addition to a certificate of appreciation, and the translation of the winning short story collection to English.
Visit our friends at Arablit.org for the full short list.
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