Omani author Jokha Al Harthi wins the Man Booker International Prize for 2019

In a first, a woman from the Gulf and an author from the Sultanate of Oman has won the Man Booker International Prize for 2019. Jokha Al Harthi is also the first Omani woman author to be translated into English.

According to Sandstone Press, the publishers, Al Harthi’s book Celestial Bodies is set in the village of Al-Awafi in Oman and centred around three sisters, Mayya, Asma, and Khawla. The story is about how the three and their families witness Oman evolve from a traditional, slave-owning society slowly redefining itself after the colonial era, to the crossroads of its complex present.

Speaking to The Arabian Stories, a leading digital news website in Oman, Al Harthi said,

“I feel over the moon right now! This is absolutely gratifying and I have no words to describe my happiness. I am absolutely thrilled. It is a great honour and I hope it will open a window to Arabic literature and Omani literature in particular. I feel incredibly proud.”

Written in Arabic and translated to English by UK-based translator Marilyn Booth, the author is also the first Arabic writer to win the prestigious award. The award of $64,000 will be split with her translator.

Celestial Bodies was in the running for the Man Booker prize with five other finalists from Europe and South America, including last year’s winner Olga Tokarczuk of Poland, whose book Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead was tipped to win.

In an earlier interview with The Arabian Stories, Al Harthi had said,

“I hope this helps international readers discover that Oman has an active and talented writing community who live and work for their art. They take on sacrifices and struggles and find joy in writing, or in art, much the same way as anywhere else. This is something the whole world has in common. Omanis, through their writing, invite others to look at Oman with an open mind and heart. No matter where you are, love, loss, friendship, pain and hope are the same feelings and humanity still has a lot of work to do to believe in this truth.”

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