Announcement 2026

The Bait AlGhasham DarArab International Translation Prize announced today the shortlists for its 2026 cycle across the Prize’s three categories: Translators, Authors, and Omani Publications. The announcement follows the completion of all judging stages and final reviews, conducted in accordance with the Prize’s professional and ethical standards.

The 2026 shortlists reflect a cycle marked by wide participation and notable diversity, spanning multiple literary genres and a broad range of geographic backgrounds. This year’s submissions also included a growing number of translators based outside the Arab world, highlighting the Prize’s expanding regional and international reach.

Shortlist – Translators Category
(Alphabetical order by English title)
Angel of the South, translated by Peter Theroux — ملائكة الجنوب by Najem Wali
Cairo Marquette, translated by Katherine Van de Vate — ماكيت القاهرة by Tareq Imam
People and Lizards, translated by Osama Hammad and Marianne Dhenin — البشر والسحالي by Hassan Abdel-Mawgoud
Things Are Not in Their Place, translated by Zia Ahmed — الأشياء ليست في أماكنها by Huda Hamad
Village of the Hundred, translated by Enas El-Torky — قرية المائة by Rehab Luay

Shortlist – Authors Category
(Alphabetical order by Arabic title)
Ab‘ad Ghayr Mar’iyya (أبعاد غير مرئية) — Short-story collection by Mustafa Mallah
Al-Matador (الماتادور) — Novel by Majdi Daibes
Jibal Al-Judari (جبال الجدري) — Novel by Abd Al-Hadi Shaalan
Jarash Jarash (جرس جرس) — Novel by Wael Raddad
Ka’in Ghayr Sawi (كائن غير سوي) — Novel by Tahir Al-Noor

Shortlist – Omani Publications Category
(Alphabetical order by Arabic title)
Tahta Zill Al-Zilal (تحت ظل الظلال) — Novel by Mohammed Qart Al-Jazmi
Arous Al-Gharqa (عروس الغرقة) — Novel by Amal Abdullah
Qawanin Al-Faqd (قوانين الفقد) — Short-story collection by Mazen Habeeb

The shortlists were selected by independent judging panels operating under the supervision of the Prize’s Board of Trustees, chaired by Marilyn Booth, an internationally recognized translator and scholar of Arabic literature. The Board also includes Mohammed Al-Yahyaei, a writer and cultural historian, and Sawad Hussain, an award-winning Arabic-to-English translator. The Board oversees the Prize’s statutes, appoints the judging panels, and approves the final results.

The Translators Category was judged by Dr. Samaher Al-Dhamen, a specialist in comparative literature and cultural studies; Marcia Lynx Qualey, founder of ArabLit and a leading advocate for Arabic literature in translation; and Dr. Luke Leafgren, an Arabic-English literary translator and a two-time recipient of the Saif Ghobash Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary Translation.

The Authors and Omani Publications categories were judged by Dr. Amir Taj Al-Sir, a widely translated novelist and physician; Bushra Khalfan, a prominent voice in contemporary Omani literature; and Yas Al-Saeedi, an Iraqi poet, novelist, and playwright whose work has received multiple Arab and international awards.

According to official figures from the 2026 cycle, the Prize received 346 submissions in the Authors Category, 34 in the Translators Category, and 10 in the Omani Publications Category.

Launched three years ago through a partnership between the Bait AlGhasham Foundation for Press, Publishing, and Advertising and DarArab for Publishing & Translation, the Prize is administered by DarArab and funded by the Bait AlGhasham Foundation. The initiative reflects a shared commitment to supporting Arabic literature and expanding its global circulation through translation and international publishing.

The Prize’s total fund amounts to approximately GBP 70,000, allocated between direct financial awards and professional support for translation, editing, publishing, and international promotion, positioning the Prize as a comprehensive model of literary and cultural support.

The winning works will be announced in conjunction with the Muscat International Book Fair 2026, in line with the Prize’s official programme.

For further information, visit: https://dararab.co.uk/en/prize/