The 2024 Saif Ghobash Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary Translation

The 2024 Entries to the Prize are now being judged

Details of all entries will be posted here shortly

The 2024 Saif Ghobash Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary Translation was open for entries from 1 January 2024 to 31 March 2024. The 2024 Prize is the 19th edition of the prize, dedicated to supporting literary translation of contemporary Arabic literature into English and honouring the work of the translators.

The Prize welcomes entries of fiction or poetry, translated from full-length imaginative and creative works of literary merit and general interest, first published in their original Arabic after or during the year 1967, and first published in English translation between 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2024. Entries can have been published in English anywhere in the world, but must be available for purchase in the UK, either through the usual distribution channels or online.
 

The full rules of entry can be found at https://www.banipaltrust.org.uk/rules/.

Online system for submitting entry forms

The Saif Ghobash Banipal Prize is administered by the UK’s Society of Authors. The Society has an excellent online entry procedure, with an easy to complete online form for each entry. From 1 January to 31 March 2024, go to this link on the Society of Authors website: https://www2.societyofauthors.org/prizes/translation-prizes/arabic-saif-ghobash-banipal-prize/

It includes all information about the prize. Scroll down and click on the Enter the 2024 Saif Ghobash Banipal Prize now button to access all details and the online form. The rules and criteria of the Prize are given, and the information required at each step is clearly stated. 

For this online entry form, you will be asked to upload a front cover image, give short biographies of both author and translator, and say from where you heard about the Prize.  A copy of each uploaded entry will be emailed to the email address provided at the beginning of the process.

For each entry, five copies of the translation and three copies of the original publication should be sent to:

THE SAIF GHOBASH BANIPAL PRIZE
THE SOCIETY OF AUTHORS
24 BEDFORD ROW
LONDON, WC1R 4TQ
UK

Important Note

As always, we are keen to avoid the mountains of photocopies of the originals that our judges are often presented with and instead send them copies of the actual Arabic books, directly sourced from the Arab publishers. It is also possible nowadays to get photocopies made into book format.

We know it is likely that as the English publisher you may not have had any contact with the original language publisher and so we are happy to help source these originals on your behalf through our longstanding contacts with the publishers. If this is the case, do email us directly on: admin@banipaltrust.org.uk.

For more information about the Banipal Trust for Arab Literature, go to www.banipaltrust.org.uk