The novel of Palestinian prisoner Basim Khandaqji, “A Mask, the Color of the Sky”, won the 2024 International Booker Prize for Arabic Fiction, in a new indication that the spirit of Palestinian prisoners remains unbroken despite the oppressive weight of confinement by the Israeli occupation.
Khandaqji, born in Nablus, has been imprisoned by Israeli occupation since 2004. The author is currently serving three life sentences for so-called “terrorism charges” connected to a bombing at Tel Aviv’s camel market.
We are delighted to announce that the #ArabicFiction2024 winning novel is A Mask, the Colour of the Sky by Basim Khandaqji. Read more here: https://t.co/Tfe2cPH87b #winner #fiction #literature pic.twitter.com/TwETbEVgfN
— International Prize for Arabic Fiction (@Arabic_Fiction) April 28, 2024
During a ceremony marking the seventeenth session of the award on Sunday, Khandaqji’s brother, Youssef, and the founder of Dar Al Adab Rana Idriss, the publishing company that released “A Mask, the Color of the Sky”, received the prize.
Choked with emotions of both sorrow and pride, Youssef Khandaqji thanked the judges of the award and his family, whom he called the source of strength.
In a January interview, Youssef revealed that Basim Khandaqji had not been in contact with his family for four months.
Published in 2023, the novel, which was smuggled out of the jail, follows the life of a Palestinian archaeologist living in a refugee camp in Ramallah who finds the identity card of an Israeli citizen.
Nabil Suleiman, chairman of the International Prize for Arabic Fiction, lauded Khandaqji for creating a portrayal of compassion despite dehumanization in a novel that skillfully balances the political and the personal as it dissects displacement, genocide and racism.
While in prison, Khandaqji completed his education, studying political science at Al-Quds University.
Khandaqji has written several other books, including “The Eclipse of Badr Al-Din” (2019), and “The Breath of a Woman Let Down” (2020). He has also written several poetry collections, titled “Rituals of the First Time” (2010), “The Breath of a Nocturnal Poem” (2013) and “The Narcissus of Isolation” (2017). Khandaqji has also published articles about literature, politics, female Palestinian activists, and prisoners inside Israeli prisons.
The International Booker Prize for Arabic Fiction is one of the most prestigious literary prizes in the Arab world. It was established in 2008 and awards USD 50,000 to its winner, as well as USD 10,000 to its six shortlisted authors. “A Mask, the Color of the Sky” was one of two Palestinian novels shortlisted for this prestigious prize; the other, “The Seventh Heaven of Jerusalem”, was written by Osama Al Eissa.
Source: Websites
