19/05/2026
📚✨ Global Literary Update: Highlights from the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC) Newsletter (May 2026, Issue 11)! ✨📚
Adab (literature) knows no boundaries. Today, we are bringing our Urdu Books World community some exciting updates from the global literary stage, courtesy of the latest ALC Newsletter! From prestigious awards to deep dives into contemporary fiction, here is what’s making waves:
🏆 1. Celebrating the 20th Sheikh Zayed Book Award Winners
Eight brilliant creators from diverse cultural backgrounds have officially won this year’s prestigious Sheikh Zayed Book Award—one of the Arab world's most influential literary honors. It’s a beautiful reminder of how storytelling unites us all across different languages and cultures.
✍️ 2. Call for Writers! Nominations Open for the 21st Edition
Are you a writer, translator, or researcher? Nominations are officially OPEN for the next cycle of the Sheikh Zayed Book Award! The ALC has launched an updated, fully digital application platform to make submitting your work smoother than ever.
📖 3. Author Spotlight: Said Khatibi on the Fragility of Memory
The newsletter features a fascinating interview with acclaimed Algerian novelist Said Khatibi about his deeply reflective work, "I Resist the River's Current" (أكتب مجرى النهر). Khatibi shares how his writing acts as a profound meditation on the fragility of memory and history—themes that we, as lovers of Urdu novels and prose, hold incredibly close to our hearts.
Urdu Books World is always thrilled to see literature thriving globally. Let’s celebrate these stories that keep the essence of human experience alive!
👉 Read the full newsletter below
💬 Discussion Time: Have you ever read translated Arabic literature? Which global authors have left a lasting impression on you? Let us know in the comments! 👇