Pat Lowther Memorial Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 41 (2021) Winner
Noor Naga
ヌール・ナーガ
Noor Naga
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
- Nationality
- Canadian, Egyptian
- Languages
- English, Arabic
- Residence History
- Philadelphia (birthplace) → Charleston, South Carolina → Dubai, United Arab Emirates → Cairo, Egypt
Career
- Occupations
- Writer
- Active Years
- 2015-
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Toronto | — | Creative Writing | MA | — | Canada |
University of Toronto
Creative Writing
Degree:
MA
Country:
Canada
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Room (magazine) Fiction Contest | — | — | Room | Shortlist |
| 2017 | RBC Bronwen Wallace Award for Emerging Writers | The Mistress and the Ping | — | RBC | Winner |
| 2019 | DISQUIET Fiction Prize | — | — | Disquiet International | Winner |
| 2021 | Graywolf Press Africa Prize | American Girl and Boy from Shobrakheit | — | Graywolf Press | Winner |
| — | RBC/PEN Canada New Voices Award | — | — | PEN Canada / RBC | Winner |
| 2021 | George Ellenbogen Poetry Award | Washes, Prays | — | Arab American National Museum | Honorable mention |
| 2021 | Pat Lowther Award | Washes, Prays | — | League of Canadian Poets | Winner |
| 2022 | Center for Fiction First Novel Prize | If an Egyptian Cannot Speak English | — | The Center for Fiction | Winner |
| 2022 | Giller Prize | If an Egyptian Cannot Speak English | — | Scotiabank Giller Prize | Shortlist |
| 2023 | PEN/Jean Stein Book Award | If an Egyptian Cannot Speak English | — | PEN America | Shortlist |
Room (magazine) Fiction Contest
2015
Organization:
Room
Result:
Shortlist
RBC Bronwen Wallace Award for Emerging Writers
2017
Work:
The Mistress and the Ping
Organization:
RBC
Result:
Winner
DISQUIET Fiction Prize
2019
Organization:
Disquiet International
Result:
Winner
Graywolf Press Africa Prize
2021
Work:
American Girl and Boy from Shobrakheit
Organization:
Graywolf Press
Result:
Winner
RBC/PEN Canada New Voices Award
Organization:
PEN Canada / RBC
Result:
Winner
George Ellenbogen Poetry Award
2021
Work:
Washes, Prays
Organization:
Arab American National Museum
Result:
Honorable mention
Pat Lowther Award
2021
Work:
Washes, Prays
Organization:
League of Canadian Poets
Result:
Winner
Center for Fiction First Novel Prize
2022
Work:
If an Egyptian Cannot Speak English
Organization:
The Center for Fiction
Result:
Winner
Giller Prize
2022
Work:
If an Egyptian Cannot Speak English
Organization:
Scotiabank Giller Prize
Result:
Shortlist
PEN/Jean Stein Book Award
2023
Work:
If an Egyptian Cannot Speak English
Organization:
PEN America
Result:
Shortlist
Awards & Nominations
Center for Fiction First Novel Prize
1 appearances
-
Edition 17 (2022) Winner
Arab American Book Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 17 (2023) Winner
Works
Major Works
Washes, Prays
2020 PoetryA collection of poems addressing faith, identity, and intimate acts; reflective pieces on immigration, family, and religion.
migrationfaithfamilyidentity
If an Egyptian Cannot Speak English
2022 NovelSet in Cairo, the novel follows two strangers whose encounter explores relationships, communication barriers, and the dislocations of language, culture, and belonging.
languagecultural dislocationbelongingromance
Bibliography
- Washes, Prays (2020)
- If an Egyptian Cannot Speak English (2022)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Lyrical, intimate proseConcise, restrained depiction that weaves cultural and religious background into the narrative
- Recurring Motifs
- migration and belonginglanguage barriersfamily expectationsfaith in daily life
Legacy
Recognized for delicate portrayals of migration, language, and faith, Noor Naga has received multiple international honors and is regarded as a prominent emerging writer of the 2020s.
Trivia
- Washes, Prays was included in CBC's "The best Canadian poetry of 2020" list.
- If an Egyptian Cannot Speak English was listed in TIME's "100 Must-Read Books of 2022" and received a starred review from Kirkus Reviews.
- Born in Philadelphia and currently living in Cairo.