AUC Press author Ibrahim Nasrallah, a Palestinian novelist and poet, has won the prestigious Neustadt International Prize for Literature, announced The American University in Cairo (AUC) Press and its literature imprint, Hoopoe.
Nasrallah is the 29th laureate of the prize, an honour frequently dubbed the “American Nobel.”
Nasrallah’s novel, Time of White Horses (Hoopoe, 2016), published in English translation by Hoopoe, was selected as the representative text for the prize.
The AUC Press “is proud that author Ibrahim Nasrallah and his novel, published under our Hoopoe literary imprint, have received such distinguished recognition,” said AUC Press Executive Director Thomas Willshire.
Time of White Horses tells “a deeply moving story rooted in Palestinian history and identity, exactly the kind of powerful, boundary-crossing narrative that embodies Hoopoe’s mission to bring distinguished voices from the Middle East to readers around the world,” he added.
Hoopoe has published four of Nasrallah’s novels in English, including Time of White Horses (2016), Gaza Weddings (2017), and The Lanterns of the King of Galilee (2015).
As outlined in the Neustadt Prize charter, “Any living author writing in any language is eligible, provided that at least a representative portion of their work is available in English—the language used during the jury deliberations.”
Presented biennially by the University of Oklahoma and World Literature Today, the Neustadt International Prize for Literature recognizes writers of exceptional literary achievement across all genres and languages.
The 2025 winner was announced in October, and the next Neustadt Lit Fest, organized by World Literature Today, will be held in the fall of 2026 in honour of Nasrallah.
Nasrallah was nominated for the prize by Shereen Malherbe, an award-winning novelist and children’s book author.
In her nominating statement, Malherbe said “Nasrallah’s literary works span universal issues and themes woven into the Palestinian struggle that allow readers to connect deeply with Palestine outside of a colonial framework.”
“His work is now more important than ever, considering the plight of Palestinians. It is time the world sees the true Palestine, and Nasrallah’s work can offer this perspective.”
Nasrallah’s powerful storytelling, exploring exile, identity, and resistance, places him alongside past laureates such as Gabriel García Márquez, Edwidge Danticat, and Tomas Tranströmer.
Nadine El-Hadi, senior acquisitions editor at AUC Press, noted that Nasrallah is “a writer of a generation and truly deserving of this prize.”
“Never has it been more important to amplify Palestinian voices such as his,” she added.
A leading Arab literature voice
Born in 1954 to Palestinian parents in a Jordanian refugee camp, Ibrahim Nasrallah has become one of the most important voices in contemporary Arab literature.
He has written fourteen poetry collections and fourteen novels, as well as works of literary criticism.
His writing has been translated into multiple languages, earning him international acclaim for his exploration of exile, identity, resistance, and the human condition.
source/content: english.ahram.org.eg (headline edited)
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