Ramallah - Together - The Palestinian Ministry of Culture announced the short list for the 'Ghassan Kanafani Award for Arabic Novel' in its third session for the year 2024. The jury, headed by the novelist Ahmed Al-Madini, held a meeting today and ended with the announcement of five novels nominated for the short list. The shortlist included 5 novels, in alphabetical order: '2067' by Saad Al-Qarsh from Egypt, 'Inevitable Pain' by Abdullah Tayeh from Palestine, 'The Remaining Tattoo' by Abdullah Al-Hussaini from Kuwait, 'The Spring of the Imam' by Mohammed Saif Al-Rahbi from the Sultanate of Oman, and 'Barlatras' by Nasr Sami from Tunisia. The Minister of Culture, Imad Hamdan, praised the role of the jury for the Ghassan Kanafani Prize for Arabic Fiction in its third session for the year 2024, headed by the Moroccan critic and novelist Ahmed Al-Madini and the members of the committee for their keenness and effort through follow-up and review of the nominated novels, which came under harsh and difficult circ umstances as a result of the ongoing Israeli occupation aggression against our people in the Gaza Strip. And the West Bank. Hamdan said that the continuation of the award, which bears the name of national culture and a symbol of Palestinian resistance in an exceptional Palestinian circumstance as a result of the ongoing aggression, is an affirmation of our awareness that culture is resistance and that the Palestinian national narrative cannot be erased and obliterated, no matter how much the occupation tries to change, Judaize, and falsify, for the land is with its evidence and landmarks. Its stones, soil, and color tell the story of the Palestinian from time immemorial. Hamdan added that the Palestinian narrative and the secret of its survival and creativity is because it is based on the Palestinian awareness of the importance of defending the land and the human being, whether on the homeland or in various parts and regions of the earth. The Moroccan novelist and critic Ahmed Al-Madini, head of the jury, said that the nominated novels dealt with social, political, philosophical, and existential issues, and the embodiment of characters through attention to the human dimension, as the theme of dominance and domination is at the forefront of all novels, and topics of social injustice and others branch out from it, as history is strongly present in a number Of the novels, some of which spoke about national, national and humanitarian concerns. It is worth noting that the first winner of the award is scheduled to be announced on July 8 next month. Last month, the Ministry announced the long list for the award, which included (14) novels, and includes writers from (10) Arab countries. It launched this award on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the martyrdom of writer Ghassan Kanafani in the year 2022. Source: Maan News Agency
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