Omani poet and novelist Zahran Alqasmi has been named the winner of the prestigious International Prize for Arabic Fiction with his book “The Water Diviner.”
The novel tells the story of Omani villager Salem bin Abdullah, who is hired by his community to find groundwater reserves, and touches on issues of water scarcity and extreme weather events such as floods.
As part of his win, the 49-year-old will receive $50,000, and the prize committee will provide funding to translate his novel into English, organisers of the annual award said on their website.
“’The Water Diviner’ by Zahran Alqasmi explores a new subject in modern fiction: water and its impact on the natural environment and the lives of human beings in hostile regions,” judges’ panel chairman Mohammed Achaari said in a statement.
The writer has published four novels and 10 poetry collections so far and is the first Omani winner of the award, now in its 16th year.
The ceremony was held in Abu Dhabi and also shortlisted authors from Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Libya and Egypt, who will each receive $10,000 each.
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