March 2 (Bloomberg) — Saudi author Abdo Khal won the International Prize for Arabic Fiction for “She Throws Sparks as Big as Castles,” a satirical novel about a poor young man who goes to work for a wealthy businessman and becomes embroiled in his palace intrigues. Khal was awarded the $50,000 prize during a ceremony [...]
March 2 (Bloomberg) — Saudi author Abdo Khal won the International Prize for Arabic Fiction for “She Throws Sparks as Big as Castles,” a satirical novel about a poor young man who goes to work for a wealthy businessman and becomes embroiled in his palace intrigues.
Khal was awarded the $50,000 prize during a ceremony this evening in Abu Dhabi, according to an e-mailed statement from the organizers. He overcame competition from five other finalists in the contest, which aims to secure recognition for outstanding Arabic authors.
Set in Saudi Arabia, “She Throws Sparks as Big as Castles” tells the story of Tarek, who becomes the servant of a man who mixes business and corrupt pleasures within the walls of his palace. Money and loose morals surround him as he carries out his master’s wishes, even to the point of torturing the mogul’s enemies. Power and wealth prove both seductive and destructive in this story, enslaving those drawn to the glamour of the palace, the contest organizers said.
“Through the eyes of its two-dimensional protagonist, the book gives the reader a taste of the horrifying reality of the excessive world of the palace,” said the chairman of the judging panel, Kuwaiti author Taleb Alrefai. He praised the novel for its “brilliant exploration of the relationship between the individual and the state.”
The other finalists were Rabai Al-Madhoun for “The Lady From Tel Aviv”; Mansoura Ez Eldin for “Beyond Paradise”; Rabee Jaber for “America”; Mohamed Mansi Qandil for “A Cloudy Day on the West Side”; and Jamal Naji for “When the Wolves Grow Old.”
Each of the finalists, including Khal, won $10,000.
Modeled on Britain’s prestigious Man Booker Prize, the International Prize for Arabic Fiction is run in association with the Booker Prize Foundation and is funded by the Emirates Foundation, a philanthropic organization based in Abu Dhabi.
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