A Saudi novelist just won the International Prize for Arabic Fiction

Saudi novelist Mohammed Hasan Alwan won the 10th International Prize for Arabic Fiction (IPAF) for his novel A Small Death on Tuesday, Arab News reported.  

The novel, published by Dar Al Saqi was awarded at a ceremony held in Abu Dhabi, and in addition to winning $50,000, it will now be translated into English.

According to Arab News, the award winning novel is a fictional account of the life of Muhyiddin Ibn Arabi, chronicling his adventures and travels "from his birth in Muslim Spain in the 12th century until his death in Damascus."

Ibn Arabi is a prominent yet controversial historical figure who "has been declared the foremost spiritual leader in Sufism by some, but condemned as an apostate by others."

Speaking of the novel, IPAF's chair of judges Sahar Khalifeh said, “with striking artistry and in captivating language, it sheds light on Ibn Arabi’s view of spiritual and temporal love in their most refined forms.”

A Small Death was picked from a six-book shortlist, narrowed down from 186 novels submitted from 19 countries.

Other shortlisted writers include, Najwa Binshatwan (Libya), Ismail Fahd Ismail (Kuwait), Elias Khoury (Lebanon), Mohammed Abdel Nabi (Egypt) and Saad Mohammed Raheem (Iraq).

Alwan, 38, is a native of Riyadh who currently lives in Toronto, Canada. A Small Death is his fifth novel.

In the years before it was published, Alwan authored four other books, including, The Ceiling of Sufficiency (2002), Sophia, (2004), The Collar of Purity, (2007) and The Beaver (2011).

The Beaver's French Translation by Stéphanie Dujols won the Arab World Institute’s Prix de la Littérature Arabe (Prize of Arab Literature) in 2015. The novel was also shortlisted for the 2013 International Prize for Arabic Fiction.

In 2010, Alwan came in at number 39 on Beirut39 project's list of best Arab authors under the age of 40.

The International Prize for Arabic Fiction (IPAF) is one of the most prestigious literary awards in the Arab world.

According to IPAF's official website the annual prize "aims to reward excellence in contemporary Arabic creative writing and encourage the readership of high quality Arabic literature internationally through the translation and publication of winning and shortlisted novels in other major languages."