Caine Prize for African Writing
1 appearances
-
Edition 1 (2000) Winner
Leila Aboulela
レイラ・アブーレラ
Reira Abourela
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1964-01-01 （Cairo, Egypt）
- Nationality
- Sudanese
- Languages
- English, Arabic
- Religion
- Islam (Sunni)
- Residence History
- Khartoum, Sudan → Aberdeen, Scotland, UK → Jakarta, Indonesia → Dubai, United Arab Emirates → Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates → Doha, Qatar
Career
- Occupations
- writer, novelist, essayist, playwright
- Active Years
- 1999-
- Memberships
- Royal Society of Literature (Fellow)
- Influenced By
- Naguib Mahfouz, Tayeb Salih, Jean Rhys, Anita Desai, Abdulrazak Gurnah, Doris Lessing, Buchi Emecheta, Ahdaf Soueif, Alan Spence, Robin Jenkins
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Khartoum | — | Economics | Bachelor of Arts (Economics) | 在学〜1985 | Sudan |
| London School of Economics | — | Statistics | M.Sc / MPhil（統計学） | 在学〜1991 | United Kingdom |
University of Khartoum
Economics
Degree:
Bachelor of Arts (Economics)
Period:
在学〜1985
Year of Graduation:
1985
Country:
Sudan
Graduated with a degree in Economics
London School of Economics
Statistics
Degree:
M.Sc / MPhil（統計学）
Period:
在学〜1991
Year of Graduation:
1991
Country:
United Kingdom
Thesis: Stock and flow models for the Sudanese educational system
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Caine Prize for African Writing | The Museum (short story) | — | Caine Prize organisation | 受賞 |
| 2011 | Scottish Book Awards (Fiction Winner) | Lyrics Alley | フィクション | Scottish Book Awards | 受賞 |
| 2018 | Saltire Fiction Book of the Year | Elsewhere, Home | フィクション | Saltire Society | 受賞 |
| 2023 | Elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature | — | — | Royal Society of Literature | 選出 |
| 2025 | PEN Pinter Prize | — | — | English PEN | 受賞 |
Caine Prize for African Writing
2000
Work:
The Museum (short story)
Organization:
Caine Prize organisation
Result:
受賞
Scottish Book Awards (Fiction Winner)
2011
Work:
Lyrics Alley
Category:
フィクション
Organization:
Scottish Book Awards
Result:
受賞
Saltire Fiction Book of the Year
2018
Work:
Elsewhere, Home
Category:
フィクション
Organization:
Saltire Society
Result:
受賞
Elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature
2023
Organization:
Royal Society of Literature
Result:
選出
PEN Pinter Prize
2025
Organization:
English PEN
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
The Translator
1999 Literary fiction (migration)Tells the story of a Sudanese widow in Scotland who works as a translator and explores culture clash, faith, loneliness and relationships.
identitymigrationIslamic faithintercultural relationships
Adaptations
- [radio drama] The Translator (radio serialization) (1999)
Translations
- Translated into Arabic
Minaret
2005 Literary fiction (diaspora)Centers on Najwa, who flees Sudan after a coup and lives in exile in London; the novel explores culture shock, love, islamophobia and migration.
religion and faithrestarting life in exilewomen's self-discovery
Translations
- Translated into Arabic
Lyrics Alley
2010 Historical fiction / family sagaSet in 1950s Sudan, it tells of an affluent family's decline and tragedy as a lens on a country in transition; inspired by the author's uncle.
post-colonial changefamily loss and renewalcultural identity
Translations
- Translated into Arabic
The Kindness of Enemies
2015 Historical-contemporary fictionFollows a half-Russian, half-Sudanese academic documenting the life of Imam Shamil; also addresses life as a Muslim in the post-9/11 era.
historical narrativereligion and politicsmemory and testimony
Adaptations
- [radio drama] The Lion of Chechnya (radio play) (2015)
Translations
- Translated into Arabic
Bird Summons
2019 Road-trip fiction / friendshipThree Muslim women travel to the Scottish Highlands and, through their journey, confront pasts and find self-discovery.
friendshipself-discoveryfaith in everyday life
River Spirit
2023 Historical fictionSet in 1880s Sudan, the novel explores the Mahdist War, slavery and women's experiences through imagined and historical figures.
war and resistanceslaverywomen's testimony
Bibliography
- 1999: The Translator
- 2001: Coloured Lights (short stories)
- 2005: Minaret
- 2010: Lyrics Alley
- 2015: The Kindness of Enemies
- 2018: Elsewhere, Home (short stories)
- 2019: Bird Summons
- 2023: River Spirit
Adaptations
- Multiple radio adaptations by BBC Radio (The Translator, The Mystic Life, The Lion of Chechnya, etc.)
Translations of Works
- Many works have been translated into 15 languages, including Arabic
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- concise, introspective prosefocus on interiority and sensory detailweaving spiritual devotion into everyday description
- Recurring Motifs
- migration and questions of homeintersection of Islamic faith and daily lifeEast-West cultural tensions and mediation
Legacy
Internationally acclaimed for sensitive portrayals of migration and Islamic faith. As an English-writing North African author she has attracted scholarly attention for diaspora literature and depictions of Muslim women.
Academic Societies
- Royal Society of Literature (Fellow)
In Popular Culture
- Reached wider audiences through BBC Radio dramatizations
Quotes
-
"Mainstream history has been written by the coloniser. This is their truth. It is time for us to tell ours."
Source: Interview (African Arguments, 2023) (2023)
Trivia
- Won the 2000 Caine Prize for the short story "The Museum".
- Born to an Egyptian mother and Sudanese father.
- Has three children.
- Works have been translated into 15 languages.
- Several works adapted for BBC Radio.