Syrian novelist Rabee Farid Murshid has won the Katara Prize for Arabic Novel in its youth fiction category for his book “Jima and Juma in Our Known Capitals.” The award was announced Thursday night during a ceremony at the Katara Opera House in Doha.
The Katara Prize, organized by the Cultural Village Foundation – Katara, is among the Arab world’s leading literary awards. Now in its 11th year, it recognizes published and unpublished novels, youth fiction, historical fiction, and critical studies. Winners receive cash prizes and publication of their works.
Murshid’s win highlights the continued strong presence of Syrian literature in Arab literary circles. Syrian writers have frequently been honored at the Katara Prize since it was launched in 2015 to promote Arabic creativity and bring regional literature to international audiences through translation and publication.
Winners in the youth fiction category each receive a $15,000 award and have their novels published and distributed under the Katara imprint.
In other categories, Hamid al- Al-Ruqaimi of Yemen won in the published novels category for “The Blindness of Memory.” Rula Khaled Ghanem and Mohammad Jubaity of Palestine were recognized for “A Sigh of Freedom” and “The Chef Who Devoured His Heart.”
Awards for unpublished novels went to Ahmed Saber Hussein of Egypt, Saad Mohammad of Iraq, and Maryam Qush of Palestine. In the critical studies category, the winners were Dr. Sami Al-Qudah of Jordan, Dr. Abdulrazzaq al-Mesbahi of Morocco, and Mohammad Musharraf Khadr of Egypt.
The award for unpublished historical fiction went to Omar al-Jamali of Tunisia for “A History Neglected by History,” while Dr. Huda al-Naimi of Qatar won the published Qatari novel category for “Zafrana.”
Katara’s director general, Dr. Khalid bin Ibrahim Al-Sulaiti , announced several new initiatives, including a “Novels Bring Us Together” program pairing Arab and Qatari writers, a youth novel competition for university students, and an international prize for novels written in foreign languages.
He also said some winning works may be adapted into films using artificial intelligence technology, part of a broader plan to expand the global presence of Arabic fiction.
The annual event also featured cultural panels and workshops, including discussions on African literature, historical fiction, and the balance between factual knowledge and imagination in storytelling.
