MUSCAT: The Bait Al Ghasham-DarArab International Translation Prize has announced the winners for 2026.
The Prize is dedicated to translating Arabic literature into English and aims to strengthen its global presence through professional translation and international publishing, while also adopting literary works within an integrated production framework.
The third edition received 346 submissions in the Authors Category, 34 submissions in the Translators Category and 10 submissions in the Omani Publications Category. In the Translators Category, the award was granted to the English translation produced by American translator Katherine Van de Vate of the novel Cairo Marquette by Tareq Imam. The jury noted that the translation successfully recreates the underlying tension of the original text through an independent English voice that preserves a surface calm while conveying deeper unease. The translation renders the novel’s strangeness and violence with measured stylistic precision, granting the work a strong presence in its new language.
In the Authors Category, the prize was awarded to the novel Ka’inGhayr Sawi (An Abnormal Being) by Chadian writer Tahir al Noor. The jury described the novel as a tightly constructed narrative that engages with human fragility as an existential condition. It generates tension from within through compact language and careful structure, avoiding ready-made judgements and opening the text to multiple interpretations.
In the Omani Publications Category, the winning work was the short-story collection Qawanin al Faqd (Laws of Loss) by Mazen Habeeb. In its comments, the jury noted that the collection presents a cohesive body of stories that sensitively explores Omani village life. Through restrained, sometimes lyrical language, it engages themes of loss, death and abandonment, with close attention to local detail and a credible, emotionally resonant narrative world.
The Bait Al Ghasham-DarArab International Translation Prize comprises three main categories: the Translators Category, which is dedicated to unpublished English translations of previously published Arabic literary works, with the winning translation published by DarArab for Publishing and Translation in the United Kingdom; the Authors Category, which focuses on unpublished Arabic works and includes publishing the winning work in Arabic, translating it into English, and publishing the translation; and the Omani Publications Category, which recognises published Omani literary works, with the Prize facilitating the translation of the winning work into English and the publication of the translation as part of DarArab’s publishing programme.
The winning works and their translations are expected to be published by DarArab for Publishing and Translation in the second half of 2027, in line with the Prize’s vision as a genuine production and publishing platform that works to discover contemporary voices in Arabic literature and translation, carry the winning works into English, and strengthen their global presence. The award ceremony and accompanying events will take place as part of the Muscat International Book Fair, to be held from March 26 to April 5. The Prize also announced that submissions for 2027 will open on March 20. — ONA
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