The International Arab Fiction Prize goes to Algerian writer Saïd Khatibi

The 19th International Prize for Arabic Fiction (IPAF) was awarded this Thursday, April 9, to Saad Khatibi for his novel “Nager contre le courant” (Swimming Against the Current). The Algerian author had previously had one of his books, “Hatab Sarajevo” (The Fire of Sarajevo Forest), shortlisted for the International Prize for Arabic Fiction in 2020.

In France, his book “La fin du Sahara” was published by Gallimard editions in a translation by Lotfi Nia in March 2025. The title is set to be released in paperback format in May 2026.

Born in 1984, Saad Khatibi studied French literature in Algiers and cultural studies at the Sorbonne in Paris. A journalist since 2006, he currently resides in Slovenia. In 2023, he was awarded the Sheikh Zayed Book Award in the Young Author category for his novel “Nehayat Al Sahra’a” (The End of the Sahara), published by Hachette Antoine/Nofal in 2022.

“The author manages to captivate the reader’s breath with a perfect balance between the demands of a complex narrative and the depth of psychological character analysis,” commented Tunisian researcher and critic Mohamed Elkadhi, who chaired the jury for this year’s award.

Six novels were in contention for this prestigious award, one of the most important in the Arab world, sponsored by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre. Each of the finalist authors receives $10,000, with the winning book’s author receiving $50,000.

Last year, the International Prize for Arabic Fiction honored Mohamed Samir Nada for his book “La Prière de l’anxiété” (The Prayer of Anxiety), published by Masciliana Editions (Egypt).

Photograph: Banipal Books.