Advancing Arabic literature on the global stage: 20 years of the Sheikh Zayed Book Award
The Sheikh Zayed Book Award (SZBA) is marking its 20th anniversary in 2026 with a year-round programme of international cultural initiatives, celebrating two decades of shaping the global reception of Arabic literature, scholarship and intellectual life.
Established in 2006, the award has honoured 136 laureates whose work spans disciplines, genres and geographies, significantly advancing international awareness of Arab thought and creativity. Over two decades, SZBA has evolved into one of the Arab world’s most prestigious literary honours and a leading platform for cultural exchange, recognising authors, scholars, translators and institutions whose contributions resonate far beyond the region.
Voices shaping contemporary Arab writing
In the Literature category, the award has recognised and celebrated 17 distinguished laureates whose works encompass poetry, historical fiction, memoir, innovative fiction and social realism. Winners of recent years include:
- Hoda Barakat (2025) for Hind, Or the Most Beautiful Girl in the World (1), an intimate novel exploring identity, perception and social marginalisation through the story of a protagonist living with a rare condition affecting her appearance.
- Reem Bassiouney (2024) for Al Halwani: The Fatimid Trilogy (2), a sweeping historical narrative depicting three centuries of Egypt’s Fatimid era through the intertwined lives of its citizens, drawing on poetry, mythology and architecture.
- Ali Jaafar Al-Allaq (2023) for Whereto, O Poem? (3), a poetic memoir reflecting on creativity, loss, exile and the cultural memory of modern Iraq.
- Iman Mersal (2021) for Traces of Enayat (4), a hybrid work reconstructing the life of Egyptian novelist Enayat al-Zayyat. Its English translation by Robin Moger – supported by the SZBA Translation Grant and published by And Other Stories – later received the James Tait Black Prize for Biography.
- Osama Alaysa (2015) for The Fools of Bethlehem (5), a magical-realist exploration of Palestinian history through the lens of a psychiatric hospital.
Continues...
Translation Grant: expanding access to Arabic Literature worldwide
A cornerstone of the award’s international impact is its Translation Grant, which supports publishers worldwide in bringing Arabic literature to new audiences. Each year, shortlisted literary titles become eligible for funding to facilitate translation into major world languages, strengthening the global circulation of Arabic writing and encouraging sustained engagement from international publishers.
Through this initiative, SZBA not only recognises literary excellence but also actively addresses structural barriers to translation, ensuring that contemporary and classical Arabic works reach readers, scholars and institutions across diverse linguistic and cultural contexts.
A platform for cultural dialogue
As it enters its third decade, the Sheikh Zayed Book Award continues to serve as a bridge between cultures, fostering dialogue through literature, scholarship and translation. The 20th anniversary programme underscores the award’s forward-looking vision – championing new voices while honouring the intellectual legacy that has shaped modern Arabic thought.
Visit the Sheikh Zayed Book Award at the London Book Fair at stand 1D130 or explore more at: zayedaward.ae
