Sheikh Zayed Book Award 2025 shortlists announced

The Sheikh Zayed Book Award 2025 shortlists were announced in the United Arab Emirates on Monday, March 3, 2025.

The Sheikh Zayed Book Award is presented to Arab writers, intellectuals, publishers, and young talent whose writings and translations of humanities have scholarly and objectively enriched Arab cultural, literary, and social life. The categories awarded are 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 2025, which is the 19^th edition, the award received more than 4,000 nominations from 75 countries, including 20 Arab nations and 55 from around the world. From these, longlists were announced on Friday, December 6 before the shortlist was unveiled on Monday.

Dr Ali bin Tamim, Secretary-General of the Sheikh Zayed Book Award and Chairman of Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre, said: “We are proud to unveil the shortlist for this year’s Sheikh Zayed Book Award, highlighting the exceptional talent, dedication, and creativity of writers and scholars shaping the future of Arab culture. This year’s selection is particularly notable for its international dimension, especially in the Translation category, which underscores the vital role of literary translation in bringing Arab literature and thought to a global audience. We commend all the nominees for their outstanding contributions and celebrate the richness and diversity of voices represented.”

The Africans in the running in the different categories are;

Literature

• The Sphinx, Ahmed Mourad (Egypt), published by Dar El Shorouk in 2023

Children’s Literature

• The Phantom of Sabiba, Latifa Labsir (Morocco), published by Markaz Kitab in 2024
• The Digital Fox, Hegra Elsawi (Egypt), published by Dar Shan Publishing & Distribution in 2024

Translation

• ‘Le démon de la théorie: Littérature et sens commun’ (The Demon of Theory: Literature and Common Sense), Antoine Compagnon, translated from French to Arabic by Hassan Outtaleb (Morocco), published by Dar Alkitab Aljadeed in 2023

Literary and Art Criticism

• Food and Language: Cultural Excavations in Arab Heritage, Dr. Said Laouadi (Morocco), published by Afrique Orient in 2023

Editing of Arabic Manuscripts

• Alkawakib Alsayaara fi Tartib Alziyara, Dr. Ahmed Gomaa Abdelhamid (Egypt), published by Institut Français d’Archéologie Orientale in 2024

The winners will be announced in March. Each will receive 750,000 UAE dirhams, while the Cultural Personality of the Year will receive 1,000,000 UAE dirhams at a ceremony at the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair on April 28.