The Cultural Village Foundation in Qatar (Katara) has announced the shortlist for the eleventh edition of the Katara Prize for Arabic Novel. The shortlist includes nine works across various categories, including published and unpublished novels, unpublished young adult novels, unpublished historical novels, published Qatari novels, and unpublished critical studies. A total of 44 novels and nine critical studies were eligible for submission.
In the published novels category, the list included nine works by writers from seven Arab countries. Egypt and Palestine participated with two novels each, while Kuwait, Oman, Syria, Yemen, and Tunisia participated with one work each.
In the unpublished novels category, nine works were also submitted, from six Arab countries. Egypt topped the list with three novels, followed by Morocco with two novels, while the remaining entries were distributed among Sudan, Tunisia, Iraq, and Palestine, with one work each. In the Unpublished Novels for Young Adults category, the list included nine works from five Arab countries. Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, and Algeria submitted two novels each, while one novel was added from Syria.
The Unpublished Critical Studies category also included nine works by researchers from three Arab countries, most notably Morocco with five studies, followed by Egypt with three, and Jordan with one.
In the Unpublished Historical Novels category, the list included nine works from six Arab countries. Egypt submitted three novels, followed by Jordan with two, while Tunisia, Morocco, Iraq, and Yemen submitted one novel each.
In the Published Qatari Novel category, eight novels were submitted, all eligible to compete for the award, with one winner to be selected.
According to the award’s data, the number of entries for the eleventh session, held in 2025, reached approximately 1,908. These entries included 923 unpublished novels, 548 published novels issued in 2024, 238 unpublished novels by young adults, 97 unpublished critical studies, 93 unpublished historical novels, and nine published Qatari novels.
It is worth noting that the Katara Prize for Arabic Novel is one of the most prominent literary awards in the region, aiming to encourage Arab novelistic creativity and enhance its position on the international cultural scene.
