“Aydoon”, a novel by Libyan author Kawthar Al Jahmi has won the first edition of the Mai Ghossoub Novel Award 2019, granted by Al Dar Al Saqi to unpublished authors.

The jury committee comprised poet and author Abbas Baidoun, novelist Jabbour Al Douihi, and Rania Al Muallim from Dar Al Saqi.

The statement of the jury committee said: “The committee has reviewed a number of remarkable novels, characterized by innovativeness and experimentalism, however the committee unanimously selected “Aydoon”, a novel by Libyan author Kauthar Al Jahmi as the winner of the first edition of the Mai Ghossoub Novel Award. The novel smoothly and poetically reflects Libyan reality and touches upon new and unknown aspects of this reality. Moreover, it successfully blends together realism and fantasy. Furthermore, it reaches beyond Libyan reality to shed light on many Arab and humane issues, with solid narration and strong plot and structure.

The novel was issued on February 17, 2019 in commemoration of the departure of author Mai Ghossoub, one of the founders of Dar Al Saqi with co-founder and publisher Andre Gaspard.