For the second time, a novel by Khaled Khalifa is on the shortlist of the International Prize for Arabic Fiction (IPAF), also known as the Arab Man Booker. “There are no knives” is co-published by Dar El Ain, Egypt, and Dar Al Adab, Lebanon. In 2008, Khalifa’s “In praise of hatred” was also shortlisted for the IPAF.

The prize, awarded in Abu Dhabi since 2008, aims at promoting Arabic literature for translation. This year, the jury is composed of:
Saad A. Albazei (Chair); Ahmed Alfaitouri, Libyan journalist, novelist and playwright; Zhor Gourram, Moroccan academic, critic and novelist; Abdullah Ibrahim, Iraqi academic and critic and Mehmet Hakki Suçin,Turkish academic specialising in the teaching of Arabic language and the translation of Arabic literature into Turkish.

Along with Khaled Khalifa on the shortlist are:
A Rare Blue Bird that Flies with Me, Youssef Fadel, Dar al-Adab
Tashari Inaam Kachachi, Dar al-Jadid
The Journeys of ‘Abdi, known as Son of Hamriya, Abdelrahim Lahbibi
The Blue Elephant, Ahmed Mourad, Dar al-Shorouq
Frankenstein in Baghdad, Ahmed Saadawi, Al-Jamal