Record Submissions Signal Growing Interest in Arabic-English Translation

The Bait AlGhasham DarArab International Translation Prize has announced its 2026 shortlists, revealing a record 390 submissions across three categories – Translators, Authors, and Omani Publications.

With a total value of $95,000, the prize remains one of the most significant initiatives supporting Arabic-to-English literary translation.

Competitive Translators Category

The Translators category received 34 submissions, with judges Dr. Samaher Al-Dhamen, Marcia Lynx Qualey, and Luke Leafgren (last year’s winner) selecting five works.

The shortlist includes Angel of the South by Najem Wali, translated by Peter Theroux; Cairo Maquette by Tareq Imam, translated by Katherine Van de Vate; People and Lizards by Hassan Abdel-Mawgoud, translated by Osama Hammad and Marianne Dhenin; Things Are Not in Their Place by Huda Hamad, translated by Zia Ahmed; and Village of the Hundred by Rehab Luay, translated by Enas El-Torky.

Emerging Authors and Omani Voices

The Authors category, which attracted 346 submissions, features five Arabic-language works: Mustafa Mallah’s short-story collection Ab‘ad Ghayr Mar’iyya; and novels Al-Matador by Majdi Daibes, Jibal Al-Judari by Abd Al-Hadi Shaalan, Jarash Jarash by Wael Raddad, and Ka’in Ghayr Sawi by Tahir Al-Nur.

The Omani Publications category, with ten eligible entries, spotlights three works: Mohammed Qart Al-Jazmi’s novel Tahta Zill Al-Zilal, Amal Abdullah’s novel Arous Al-Gharqa, and Mazen Habeeb’s short-story collection Qawanin Al-Faqd.

Prize Structure and Mission

Now in its third year, the prize is a partnership between Oman’s Bait AlGhasham and UK-based DarArab Publishing. It addresses the critical shortage of Arabic literature in English translation – last year’s Translators category received only 11 qualified entries.

The fund covers author/translator awards, translation costs, and full publication and marketing expenses through DarArab.

Winners will be announced during the Muscat International Book Fair, 26 March–5 April 2026.

Publishing Industry Context

The prize emerges alongside established awards like the Saif Ghobash Banipal Prize but offers substantially more financial support, including guaranteed publication – a significant advantage for translators and authors navigating the challenging Anglo-American market for translated fiction.

This post first appeared in the TNPS LinkedIn newsletter.