News of Palestinian prisoner Basim Khandaqji’s win at the International Prize for Arabic Fiction (IPAF) was greeted with great joy in literary circles.
The jury’s chair, Syrian novelist Nabil Suleiman, confirmed that it had been a rare unanimous decision and, for once, did not ignite the customary arguments over who ought to have won.
Notably absent, too, were the typical exhaustive debates over the winner’s origins or the tactics of Arab publishers. Instead, his win was met with elation at the Abu Dhabi ceremony and among Arab readers and cultural commentators.
The accolade was not only a victory for Palestine and Gaza. It also highlighted the deepening plight of Palestinian prisoners whose suffering has escalated since the surprise Hamas attack on 7 October.
An apt presenter
Another source of joy on the occasion was the choice of award presenter: the esteemed British publisher and intellectual Margaret Obank, who is noted for her dissemination of Arabic literature in English.
Yasir Suleiman, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, said Obank was selected as a presenter as a gesture of loyalty and gratitude for her foundational contributions to the award and her tenure on the IPAF board of trustees.
After years dedicated to introducing Arab culture to English-speaking audiences globally, Obank has now stepped down to take a well-deserved break.
Alongside her husband, the Iraqi novelist Samuel Shimon, Obank spearheaded Banipal Magazine, founded in the UK in 1998.
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