Al Multaqa Prize for Arabic Short Story has recently announced five short story collections that have been shortlisted for its sixth edition.
The five short stories include (Drunk on a Bicycle) by Moroccan writer Ismail Al Ghazali, published by Mediterranean Publications, (Do, Yik) by Syrian writer Rawa’a Sunbul, published by Dar Mamdouh Adwan Publishing House, and (Sad Dolls) by Egyptian Samir Al Fil, published by the Battana Cultural Foundation.
The shortlist also includes (Distilled) by Kuwaiti writer Abdul Hadi Al Jamil, released by Dar Athar Publishing House, and (A Brief Time to Panic) by Omani writer Yahya Salam Al Mundhari, Dar Arab Publishing House.
Chaired by renowned Syrian writer Dr. Shahla Ujayli, the jury consists of esteemed members, including Dr. Shoaib Halifi, Dr. Fahad Hussain, Dr. Saeed Al Da’as, and Dr. Michelle Hartman.
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Speaking during a press conference, Dr. Shahla Ujayli said: “This year’s edition received an overwhelming response and heated competition, owing to the exceptional quality and diverse creative approaches evident in the submitted works.”
She emphasised that the shortlisted collections stand out as outstanding literary works due to their writers’ remarkable capacity to portray the art of storytelling, encompassing both classical and experimental styles. These works display distinctiveness by employing techniques such as daily narrative, temporal manipulation to create an illusion of the surreal or fantastical, exploration of single themes across multiple plots, and storytelling within a framework that echoes popular heritage.
The jury set specific technical criteria to discern the most deserving story collections. The criteria encompassed evaluating the quality of textual construction and innovation, assessing creativity, examining the eloquence of language essential for storytelling, examining the artistic treatment’s quality, and considering the engagement with textual space—whether in private contemplation or through its openness to diverse cultural perspectives.
The jury will meet in Kuwait in the second week of January 2024 to select the winner of the sixth edition of the prize, who will receive a cash prize of $20,000, and the prize’s shield and certificate. Each writer on the shortlist will also receive a cash prize of $5,000, along with the prize’s memento and certificate.
The American University of the Middle East campus in Kuwait will host the annual award ceremony and its associated cultural activity for this session, which will mark the inauguration of the “The first Conference for the Al Multaqa Prize for Arabic Short Story,” featuring the participation of an elite group of Arabic short story writers, critics, publishers, and international translators.
