The International Prize for Arabic Fiction (IPAF) has announced the shortlist for its 19th edition, featuring six novels from Iraq, Egypt, Algeria, and Lebanon. Among the contenders is an Iraqi novel titled “Al-Ra’i” (The Seer) by Diaa Jubaili. The winning novel will be announced on April 9, 2026, with a prize of 50,000 USD.

The shortlist includes

• Al-Ra’i by Iraqi author Diaa Jubaili

• Origin of Species by Egyptian writer Ahmed Abdel Latif

• The Siesta Dream by Algerian novelist Amin Zaoui

• A Cloud Above My Head by Egyptian writer Doaa Ibrahim

• I Struggle Against the River’s Course by Algerian author Saeed Khatibi

• May’s Absence by Lebanese novelist Najwa Barakat

The announcement was made during a press conference hosted by the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities, attended by the judging panel, the chair of the prize’s board of trustees Yasser Suleiman, and prize coordinator Fleur Montanaro.

The head of the judging panel, Tunisian researcher and critic Mohamed Al-Qadhi, praised the selected works, saying that “these novels reflect the high level reached by the Arabic novel, its openness to contemporary issues, and its tendency to diversify narrative techniques, distancing itself from directness and didacticism, and addressing a reader whose taste is evolving and who seeks to be a partner in the creative process rather than merely a consumer of texts.”

The winning novel—awarded 50,000 USD and sponsored by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre—will be announced on April 9, 2026, during a ceremony in the UAE that will be broadcast live on digital platforms.

In previous editions, the prize has gone to novelists from Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, and Palestine.