{
  "id": 7523614,
  "title": "From manga to medieval recipes: 15 Sheikh Zayed Book Award titles available in English",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/15/from-manga-to-medieval-recipes-15-sheikh-zayed-book-award-titles-7523614",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-15T09:43:47.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The National Business",
    "slug": "the-national-business",
    "url": "https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts-culture/books/2026/09/15/from-manga-to-medieval-recipes-15-sheikh-zayed-book-award-titles-available-in-english/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The 20th Sheikh Zayed Book Award ceremony, held at the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, celebrated two decades of an esteemed literary prize. Created in 2006, the award recognizes exceptional writing, translation, and scholarship while fostering Arabic literature and cultural exchange. Winners receive significant monetary prizes, with the Cultural Personality of the Year category awarded Dh1 million.\n\nBelow are 15 notable Sheikh Zayed Book Award-winning titles available in English, showcasing the diversity of genres and themes represented in this prestigious competition.\n\n1. **Fiction and Children's Literature**\n- *The End of the Sahara* by Said Khatibi (2023): This crime novel set in Algeria explores social division and political unease during a turbulent period in the country's history.\n- *The Lilac Girl* by Ibtisam Barakat (2020): A children's book inspired by a Palestinian artist, exploring themes of memory, loss, and displacement from a child's perspective.\n- *I Dream of Being a Concrete Mixer* by Hussain Al Mutawaa (2019): A story about a young protagonist who dreams of becoming a concrete mixer, raising questions about ambition, choice, and adult expectations.\n- *The Dinoraf* by Hessa Al Mehairi (2018): An Emirati picture book about a dinosaur searching for companions, promoting coexistence and diversity.\n- *Hatless* by Lateefa Buti (2017): A Kuwaiti children's book about a city where people wear hats that obscure their faces, exploring themes of curiosity, conformity, and independent thought.\n- *After Coffee* by Abdelrashid Mahmoudi (2014): An Egyptian novel about Medhat, a man wandering between Ismailia and Vienna in the 1940s, grappling with love, disappointment, and identity.\n- *Gold Ring* by Qais Sedki (2010): A graphic novel set within Emirati culture, blending Japanese manga influences with traditional Emirati elements, encouraging young readers to embrace their heritage.",
  "summary": "The winners of the 20th Sheikh Zayed Book Award will be honoured on Wednesday at the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, marking two decades of one of the Arab world's most prestigious literary and cultural prizes. Launched in 2006, the award was created to recognise outstanding writing, translation and scholarship while promoting Arabic literature and greater cultural exchange. That ambition came…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The National UAE",
        "title": "From manga to medieval recipes: 15 Sheikh Zayed Book Award titles available in English",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/15/from-manga-to-medieval-recipes-15-sheikh-zayed-book-award-titles",
        "published": "2026-09-15T09:43:47.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}