Literary prize for fiction goes to Palestinian prisoner in Israel

-Author and poet Basim Khandaqji wins International Prize for Arabic Fiction
-Khandaqji wrote one of two Palestinian novels shortlisted for the prestigious literary prize
-Palestinian author Basim Khandaqji is serving three life sentences in an Israeli prison

The imprisoned Palestinian author Basim Khandaqji has been named the winner of the International Prize for Arabic Fiction for his 2023 novel A Mask, the Colour of the Sky, AFP reported on Sunday.

Published by Lebanon’s Dar Al Adab, the book was named the winner of the $50,000 prize at a ceremony in Abu Dhabi on Sunday. In addition to the prize money, funding will be made available for an English translation.

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Born in Nablus in 1983, Khandaqji was arrested on terrorism charges by Israeli authorities in 2004 and convicted of planning and participating in a bombing at Tel Aviv’s Camel Market that killed three people and injured dozens more.

He is serving three life sentences in an Israeli prison. Rana Idriss, the founder of Dar Al Adab (“House of Literature”), received the award in Abu Dhabi on the author’s behalf.

Yousef Khandaqji, the author’s brother, was in the audience to watch the announcement at the event held at Abu Dhabi’s Fairmont Bab Al Bahr.

A Mask, the Colour of the Sky follows the life of Nur, a Palestinian archaeologist living in a refugee camp in Ramallah. On finding the blue identity card belonging to an Israeli citizen in the pocket of an old coat, Nur takes on the life of the card’s namesake in an attempt to understand life behind the security fence.

Syrian writer Nabil Suleiman, known for his epic four-part 2012 novel Orbits of the East and chairman of this year’s IPAF judging panel, hailed the work for its multi-layered narrative.

“It dissects a complex, bitter reality of family fragmentation, displacement, genocide and racism,” he said as part of the winner’s announcement.

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Khandaqji’s work is one of two Palestinian novels shortlisted for the IPAF, the other being The Seventh Heaven of Jerusalem by Osama Al Eissa.

“We were both overwhelmed by thoughts about what was happening in Gaza, and I was happier about Basim Khandaqji being shortlisted [than about my novel being on the list]. He is someone dear to me,” Al Eissa told the Ipaf website on receiving his nomination.