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In
addition to winning $50,000, Ahmed Saadawi is
guaranteed an English translation of his novel, as well as
increased book sales and international recognition. Set in the
spring of 2005, Frankenstein in Baghdad tells the
story of Hadi al-Attag, a rag-and-bone man who lives in a
populous district of Baghdad. He takes the body parts of
those killed in explosions and sews them together to create
a new body. The body is entered by a displaced soul,
bringing it to life. Hadi calls the being
‘the-what's-its-name,’ while the authorities name it
‘Criminal X’ and others refer to it as
‘Frankenstein’. Frankenstein begins a campaign of
revenge against those who killed him, or killed those whose
parts make up his body. Ahmed Saadawi is an Iraqi
novelist, poet and screenwriter. Born in 1973 in Baghdad,
where he works as a documentary film maker, he took part in
the annual IPAF ‘Nadwa’ or literary workshop for
promising young writers in 2012.Frankenstein in Baghdad
was selected as the best work of
fiction published within the last 12 months, selected from
156 entries from 18 countries across the Arab World. On
behalf of the 2014 judging panel, Saad A. Albazei
comments:
‘We chose
Frankenstein in Baghdad for several reasons.
Firstly for the originality of its narrative structure, as
represented in the 'what's-its-name' character,
who embodies the violence currently experienced in Iraq, other Arab countries and the wider
world. The story is expertly told on several levels and from
multiple viewpoints.
‘For these reasons and more, Frankenstein
in Baghdad is a significant addition to contemporary
Arabic fiction.’ The five
other shortlisted finalists were also honoured at the
ceremony alongside the winner; each of the finalists,
including the winner, receives $10,000.
The six names on the shortlist were announced
in February, at a press conference at the Abdul Hameed
Shoman Foundation in Amman, Jordan, by the judging panel.
The judges are: Chair of judges, the Saudi Arabian
> academic and critic Saad A. Albazei; 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.
The Prize is supported by the Booker Prize
Foundation in London and funded by the TCA Abu Dhabi in the
UAE. Professor
of Modern Arabic Studies Yasir Suleiman, Chair of the Board
of IPAF Trustees, comments: ‘Ahmed Saadawi's
Frankenstein in Baghdad is an outstanding
achievement, teeming with characters who are both
earthy and real but also transcend reality. It raises
questions about an oppressive legacy from which neither
individuals nor society can escape. The novel dazzles with
captivating storytelling, utilising the techniques of
magical realism to reveal the depths of the human soul in
its darkest hours. Although set in Baghdad, its subject
matter goes beyond that city to embrace humanity
everywhere.’ To date,
six of the seven winning IPAF novels have secured deals for
publication in English. Overall, winning and shortlisted
books since 2008 have been translated into over 20
languages.
addition to winning $50,000, Ahmed Saadawi is
guaranteed an English translation of his novel, as well as
increased book sales and international recognition. Set in the
spring of 2005, Frankenstein in Baghdad tells the
story of Hadi al-Attag, a rag-and-bone man who lives in a
populous district of Baghdad. He takes the body parts of
those killed in explosions and sews them together to create
a new body. The body is entered by a displaced soul,
bringing it to life. Hadi calls the being
‘the-what's-its-name,’ while the authorities name it
‘Criminal X’ and others refer to it as
‘Frankenstein’. Frankenstein begins a campaign of
revenge against those who killed him, or killed those whose
parts make up his body. Ahmed Saadawi is an Iraqi
novelist, poet and screenwriter. Born in 1973 in Baghdad,
where he works as a documentary film maker, he took part in
the annual IPAF ‘Nadwa’ or literary workshop for
promising young writers in 2012.Frankenstein in Baghdad
was selected as the best work of
fiction published within the last 12 months, selected from
156 entries from 18 countries across the Arab World. On
behalf of the 2014 judging panel, Saad A. Albazei
comments:
‘We chose
Frankenstein in Baghdad for several reasons.
Firstly for the originality of its narrative structure, as
represented in the 'what's-its-name' character,
who embodies the violence currently experienced in Iraq, other Arab countries and the wider
world. The story is expertly told on several levels and from
multiple viewpoints.
‘For these reasons and more, Frankenstein
in Baghdad is a significant addition to contemporary
Arabic fiction.’ The five
other shortlisted finalists were also honoured at the
ceremony alongside the winner; each of the finalists,
including the winner, receives $10,000.
The six names on the shortlist were announced
in February, at a press conference at the Abdul Hameed
Shoman Foundation in Amman, Jordan, by the judging panel.
The judges are: Chair of judges, the Saudi Arabian
> academic and critic Saad A. Albazei; 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.
The Prize is supported by the Booker Prize
Foundation in London and funded by the TCA Abu Dhabi in the
UAE. Professor
of Modern Arabic Studies Yasir Suleiman, Chair of the Board
of IPAF Trustees, comments: ‘Ahmed Saadawi's
Frankenstein in Baghdad is an outstanding
achievement, teeming with characters who are both
earthy and real but also transcend reality. It raises
questions about an oppressive legacy from which neither
individuals nor society can escape. The novel dazzles with
captivating storytelling, utilising the techniques of
magical realism to reveal the depths of the human soul in
its darkest hours. Although set in Baghdad, its subject
matter goes beyond that city to embrace humanity
everywhere.’ To date,
six of the seven winning IPAF novels have secured deals for
publication in English. Overall, winning and shortlisted
books since 2008 have been translated into over 20
languages.
