The 2025 Saif Ghobash Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary Translation

Entries for the 2025 Prize have now all been submitted

The 2025 Prize

The 2025 Saif Ghobash Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary Translation was open for entries from 1 January until 31 March 2025. The 2025 Prize is the 20th edition of the prize, dedicated to supporting literary translation of contemporary Arabic literature into English and honouring the work of the translators.

The closing date for both publication of titles and of entries to the 2025 prize was 31 March 2025.

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 2024 and 31 March 2025. 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. Additionally, submissions must not contain AI generated works.

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

Online form for submitting entries

The Saif Ghobash Banipal Prize is administered by the UK Society of Authors. The Society has an excellent online entry procedure, with an easy to complete online form for each entry. On and after 1 January 2025, do go to this link on the Society of Authors website to make an entry:https://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 2025 Saif Ghobash Banipal Prize here box to access 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 physical copies of the translation and four physical copies of the original Arabic publication should be sent to:

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