The International Prize for Arabic Fiction (IPAF) has announced that the novel “A Mask, the Colour of the Sky” by Palestinian author Basim Khandaqji won its 17 th edition for 2024.

Nabil Suleiman, chairman of judging panel, unveiled the winning novel during a special ceremony held in Abu Dhabi on Sunday, April 28, 2024, in the presence of Dr. Ali Bin Tamim, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC).

The jury selected the winning novel from among 133 novels nominated for the 2024 prize, recognizing it as the best novel published between July 2022 and June 2023.
Rana Idriss, the owner of Dar Al Adab, the publisher of the novel, received the awardon behalf of author Basim Khandaqji.

Syrian writer Nabil Suleiman, Chairman of the jury, hailed the novel for its multi-layered narrative, and said: "A Mask, the Colour of the Sky fuses the personalwith the political in innovative ways. It ventures into experimenting with new narrative forms to explore three types of consciousness – that of the self, the other and the world.”

He added: “The novel dissects a complex, bitter reality of family fragmentation, displacement, genocide and racism. The strands of history, myth and the present day are delicately woven together in a narrative that pulses with compassion in the face of dehumanisation and is stirred by a desire for freedom from oppression, both at an individual and societal level. “A Mask, the Colour of the Sky declares love and friendship as central to human identity above all other affiliations.”

Prof Yasir Suleiman, chairman of the award's board of trustees, highlighted the novel’s narrative sweep. “An archaeology of victimhood emerges, and the trauma of modern Palestine unravels,” he said. “After careful scene setting, the novel gathers pace quickly, ensnaring the reader in its galloping storylines and unexpected subtle humour.”

"Khandaqji’s novel delves into realms where the present intertwines with the past, aiming to unveil the clash between the ego and the other, both are among the wretched on Earth, with one inevitably becoming the victim of the other. In this dynamic, the Palestinian Nakba emerges as a monument, a testament to a humanitarian catastrophe in which the victim bears no culpability. Ultimately, the protagonist's facade is stripped away under the Palestinian skies of Haifa, where Mary Magdalene materializes, sought after by the protagonist to liberate her from the confines of Dan Brown's narrative in his novel 'The Da Vinci Code'."

"Khandaqji’s novel delves deep into the earth, probing its layers to unveil its narrative in a pure Arabic language that eschews embellishment, and steers clear of dwelling excessively on pain." Khandaqji was imprisoned by Israeli authorities in 2004. Since being jailed Khandaqji has written poetry collections including “Rituals of the First Time” in 2010 and “The Breath of a Nocturnal Poem” in 2013. He also penned three novels: “Daffodil of the Solitude (2017), The Eclipse of Badreddine (2019), and The Breath of a Failed Woman (2020).

The 2024 shortlisted authors included Ahmed Al Morsi, Osama Al Eissa, Raja Alem, Rima Bali and Eissa Nasiri. The winning novel was selected by a five- member jury chaired by Syrian writer Nabil Suleiman, and members including Sudanese writer and journalist Hammour Ziada; Palestinian writer, researcher and academic Sonia Nimr; Czech academic Frantyšek Ondraš; and Egyptian critic and journalist Mohamed Shoair.

The International Prize for Arabic Fiction, the most prestigious literary prize in the Arab world, aims to reward excellence in contemporary Arabic creative writing and to encourage the readership of high- quality Arabic literature internationally through the translation and publishing of the winning and shortlisted novels in other major languages. 

In addition to the annual Prize, IPAF supports other literary initiatives. In 2009 IPAF launched its inaugural Nadwa (writers’ workshop) for emerging writers of fiction in Arabic. The Prize is currently sponsored by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre, an affiliate of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi.