The Banipal Trust for Arab Literature

Rules of Entry

  1. The prize is awarded annually
  2. Entries should be published translations of full-length works of imaginative and creative writing of literary merit and general interest, published in the original Arabic after, or during, the year 1967
  3. Submissions must not contain AI generated works.
  4. Entries for the 2025 prize must have been first published in English translation between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025, covering 12 months.
  5. Entries can have been published in English anywhere in the world but must be available for purchase in the United Kingdom via a distributor or on-line
  6. Entries can be by one or more translators
  7. Entries can only be submitted by a publisher
  8. There is no limit on the number of submissions made by a publisher.
  9. Five physical copies of the translation and four physical copies of the original work should be submitted, in addition to a digital copy of the text, in both languages, either uploaded to the online entry form or sent by email to prizes@societyofauthors.org.
  10. From the 2023 prize and onwards, the period for receiving entries will be from 1 January to 31 March each year
  11. The judges can call in eligible titles that missed being entered by their publisher



The judges shall have one meeting, where they will choose first a shortlist and then select the winner. The decision of the judges is final and they reserve the right not to award the Prize if, in their opinion, no works entered reach a sufficiently high standard.

It is a condition of entry that publishers will put the award logo or “2025 Saif Ghobash Banipal Prize Winner” or “Shortlisted for the Saif Ghobash Banipal Prize 2025”, on the cover of subsequent editions of winning/shortlisted books. The Society of Authors has designed roundels with this information on them for publishes to use if need be.



For any queries and further information, please email: admin@banipaltrust.org.uk



The date for submitting entries for the 2025 Prize opens on 1 January 2025

There is an online form to complete for each entry, as follows:
1  Go to this link on or after 1 January 2025 – the current link will be updated in good time:    https://societyofauthors.org/prizes/translation-prizes/arabic-saif-ghobash-banipal-prize/
2  Scroll down the page and click on the box Enter the 2025 Saif Ghobash Banipal Prize here.
3  Complete the online entry form for each translation you are entering.
4  Click SUBMIT when the form is completed

5  Send entries to:
    SAIF GHOBASH BANIPAL PRIZE
    PRIZES DEPARTMENT
    SOCIETY OF AUTHORS
    24 BEDFORD ROW 
    LONDON WC1R 4TQ
    UK

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