According to the statement, some writers who had previously reached the final stages of the competition have now managed to get onto the longlist.
These are Aisha Ibrahim, Azhar Georges, Lina Hawayan Al-Hassan, Najwa Bin Shatwan, Miral Al-Tahawy, Ahmed Abdel-Latif, and Nasser Iraq.
First timers
Nine other writers have been selected for the first time to the longlist. They are Al-Siddiq Haj Ahmed, May Al-Tilmisani, Qasim Tawfiq, Sawsan Jamil Hassan, Rabia Rayhan, Fatima Abdel-Hamid, Ahmed Al-Fakharani, Zahran Al-Qasimi, and Muhammad Al-Hradi.
Reading the statement, one wonders about the circumstances surrounding the novelists' selection. What criteria governed the selection process? Was it the topics or the methods, the stories or the technique, the narrative or the ways of telling stories, and the novelists experimenting and their "playing" in the worlds of their novels?
The statement will give you a definitive answer.
It's important to note that the tastes of the judges are subjective, which makes it difficult to accurately judge the reasons for selecting particular novels.
This opens the door for speculation, due diligence and questioning the elements of quality, distinction, and experimentation, which, in turn, opens the way for guessing and posing questions on the criteria of excellence, distinction, and experimentalism.
Some of the book covers selected for the Arabic Booker longlist.
Although the award does not have an allocated country quota, geographical distribution remains present and a renewed topic of discussion.
Notably missing
It was remarkable, though, that some Arab countries are not represented in this year's longlist, including countries with a significant presence in previous years, such as Lebanon, Tunisia, Palestine, Kuwait, and others.
Conversely, other countries were particularly dominant, such as Egypt, which had four novels on the list.
Publishers also have a share in the glory. When a novel is selected, it will generate buzz which helps with book sales. This increases the chance it gets nominated to subsequent lists, as well.
This year, there is also an overwhelming presence of Egyptian publishing houses. Dar Al-Ain has three novels in the competition, and so does Dar Al-Shorouk, in addition to one novel from Dar Al-Rabea.
Other publishers secured a place for themselves in the award lists after years of work and perseverance, such as the publications of Masciliana Editions and Al-Mutawasset – The Mediterranean.
With the announcement of the long list, several questions arise about what happens next. Interested observers begin to anticipate what novels will be shortlisted and who the winner will be this year.
Will it be an Egyptian novel, considering the large number of Egyptian competitors, or will some of them be taken away from the shortlist to maintain geographical balance and thus equal chances of winning?
Is the trend this year to support a new novel or to dedicate names that have previously been selected in the award and had their share of fame and promotion? Will there be a coronation of participants from countries that have yet won the prize?
However, a creative outburst has been observed — particularly in novels from Syria.
Media influence
It is natural for each longlist or shortlist to reflect the opinions of the jury panel so that the winner is the best Arab in the competition for a given year.
However, the powerful media plays a role when it selects certain novels and puts them in the spotlight — to either over-praise or destroy them, at the expense of many works that were not nominated for the award.
