International Prize for Arabic Fiction
1 appearances
-
Edition 4 (2011) Winner
Raja'a Alem
ラジャー・アレム
Raja'a Alem
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- Mecca, Saudi Arabia
- Nationality
- Saudi Arabia
- Languages
- Arabic, English
- Religion
- Islam
- Residence History
- Jeddah, Saudi Arabia → Paris, France
Career
- Occupations
- novelist, short story writer, playwright, educator (kindergarten teacher trainer)
- Active Years
- 1980-
- Affiliations
- Center for Training Kindergarten Teachers, Jeddah (tutor)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| King Abdulaziz University | Faculty of Arts | English Literature | BA | 1976–1980 | Saudi Arabia |
King Abdulaziz University
Faculty of Arts
/ English Literature
Degree:
BA
Period:
1976–1980
Year of Graduation:
1980
Country:
Saudi Arabia
Studied English literature and received a BA
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | International Prize for Arabic Fiction | The Dove's Necklace | — | Booker Prize Foundation (administered) / Department of Culture and Tourism, Abu Dhabi (funded) | Winner (joint) |
International Prize for Arabic Fiction
2011
Work:
The Dove's Necklace
Organization:
Booker Prize Foundation (administered) / Department of Culture and Tourism, Abu Dhabi (funded)
Result:
Winner (joint)
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
The Dove's Necklace
2010 NovelA symbolic, Sufi-tinged novel set in Mecca, intertwining the city's memory, feminine perspectives and mystical elements.
Meccamemorywomenmysticismurban transformation
Translations
- Translated into English
- Translated into Spanish
The Animal River (Nahr al-Hayawan)
1994 Short story collectionA collection of short stories blending quotidian and allegorical elements, exploring social and personal memories.
allegorymemorywomen's experiences
Translations
- One story translated into English
Khatim (Khatim)
2006 NovelA novel set against social and religious themes, notable for its symbolic imagery and narrative style.
religionsymbolismrole of women
Bibliography
- Thouqoub fi el-dahr (2006)
- Sitr (2006)
- Al-raqs ala sinn al-shouka (2006)
- Tariq al-harir / The Silk Road (2006)
- Khatim (2006)
- Nahr al-Hayawan / The Animal River (1994)
Adaptations
- The Black Arch (Venice Biennale exhibition, 2011)
Translations of Works
- The Dove's Necklace has been translated into English and Spanish
- Short story 'One Thousand Braids and a Governess' appears in English translation
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- symbolic, Sufi-influenced narrationblend of modern techniques with traditional themesnarratives with broad, cosmic visions
- Recurring Motifs
- Mecca and the Hajjwomen and family memorydreams and the fantasticurban transformation
Legacy
Documented the Meccan environment in literature and achieved international recognition as a Saudi woman writer. Joint winner of the 2011 International Prize for Arabic Fiction for The Dove's Necklace, and in 2011 represented Saudi Arabia at the Venice Biennale with her sister Shadia Alem.
In Popular Culture
- 2011 Venice Biennale entry (The Black Arch)
Quotes
-
I belong to a stream of thinking rather than a piece of land, to a current that runs everywhere. My country is all over the globe...Now, in Mecca, I felt I belonged, not to the ceremonies performed by thousands of bodies but to a spirit that was reaching out to me alone.
Source: BOMB Magazine — Tom McDonough (2008) -
Writing in English was a way of shedding inhibitions. I’ve never read any of my books published in Arabic; it makes me feel completely naked. Reading them in another language, though, I feel alive in a poetic way.
Source: BOMB Magazine — Tom McDonough (2008)
Trivia
- Some of her works have faced bans or censorship in the Arab world.
- She splits her time between Jeddah and Paris.
- In 2011 she and her sister Shadia Alem represented Saudi Arabia at the Venice Biennale — the country's first entry.