Banned book wins 'Arabic Booker'

A week after it was banned across the United Arab Emirates, the Tunisian writer Shukri al-Mabkhout was awarded the International Prize for Arabic Fiction for his debut novel, The Italian in a ceremony in Abu Dhabi. Also known as the "Arabic Booker", the $ 50,000 prize award is currently in its eighth year. The novel, based in Tunisia, follows the protagonist during the country's tumultuous transition from the dictatorship of Habib Bourguiba to that of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. According to Mourid Barghouti¸ IPAF's judging chair, the novel "brilliantly depicts the unrest both of the small world of its characters and the larger one of the nation".

Books&Authors, May 17, 2015

A trophy to remember

THE organisers behind the World Fantasy Award have announced at the World Fantasy Convention that they will no longer hand out trophies bearing the resemblance of the racist author and poet, HP Lovecraft. While no reason was given for the decision, the announcement was made following lobbying by the writing community.

Writers weighed in on the decision, lauding it. Daniel José Older, for instance, tweeted that he was delighted at hearing the news: "They just announced The World Fantasy Award will no longer be HP Lovecraft. We did it. You did it. It's done." Previous winners have expressed feeling conflicted about receiving an award bearing the resemblance of a writer known for being a racist. Nnedi Okora's sharp retort was, "a statuette of this racist man's head is in my home. A statuette of this racist man's head is one of my greatest honours as a writer".

Books&Authors, November 15, 2015

Mein Kampf to be republished

ADOLF Hitler's Mein Kampf, which is his autobiographical manifesto, is being published in Germany for the first time since WWII amidst great controversy and despite objections from several Jewish groups. Bavarian authorities have retained control over the copyright of Mein Kampf, and for 70 years they had refused to give permission for its publication. However, the copyright ends at the beginning of next year and the Institute of Contemporary History (IFZ) has announced that it will be publishing an annotated edition in January.

Hitler, Mein Kampf: A Critical Edition shall hit bookstores in January according to Andreas Wirsching, director of IFZ in Munich. Wirsching, who has been working on the project since 2009, added that the book which contains 3,500 annotations will be published in two volumes totaling 1,948 pages. Despite the controversy, Wirsching pointed out that the purpose of re-publishing the text with commentary is to "shatter the myth" surrounding the book. An initial run of 3,500 to 4,000 copies has been planned.

Books&Authors, December 6, 2015