In collaboration with the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre and with input from over 50 authors, publishers, literary experts, festival organizers, and prize jurors—including the Sheikh Zayed Book Award and the International Prize for Arabic Fiction—The National has curated a list of the 50 most important Arabic novels of the 20th century.
In this transformative period, several now world-famous authors produced iconic works that remain symbols of the region’s historical dynamism and creativity.
Among these notable titles, four were published in translation by AUC Press:
1) The Cairo Trilogy (1956–1957) by Naguib Mahfouz (Egypt). Published in Translation by AUC Press in 1997.
The Cairo Trilogy, written by Nobel Prize-winning author Naguib Mahfouz and consisting of three novels, Palace Walk, Palace of Desire, and Sugar Street, but commonly published as one volume, is a significant Arabic literary work.
AUC Press was one of the first English-language publishers of Naguib Mahfouz’s novels, playing a pivotal role in translating and publishing his works.
Check out The Naguib Mahfouz Centennial Library a collection of the translated works of Egypt’s greatest writer.
It all began in December 1985, three years before Naguib Mahfouz was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. That year, AUC Press signed a comprehensive publishing agreement with the esteemed Egyptian writer, becoming his primary English-language publisher and global agent for translation rights.
As a tribute to Naguib Mahfouz’s rich literary heritage, the AUC Press established, in 1996, the Naguib Mahfouz Medal for Literature, a major award supporting contemporary Arabic literature in translation.
2) Memory in the Flesh (1993) by Ahlam Mosteghanemi (Algeria). Published in translation by AUC Press in 1999.
Memory in the Flesh won the Naguib Mahfouz Medal for Literature in 1998, and, as remarked by The National, “It is considered one of the most important Arabic literary works of the late 20th century due to its style and subject matter.”
3) The Golden Chariot (1995) by Salwa Bakr (Egypt). Published in translation by AUC Press in 2008.
This novel tells the stories of several women—the innocent, the guilty, the naive, and the dangerous—in a single narrative, much like contemporary Arabian Nights. Their tales explore every facet of their lives, as women from diverse backgrounds are confined together in one prison cell.
As remarked by The National News, “The novel is revolutionary for its realistic commentary on gender relations in Egypt.”
4) The Last of the Angels (1992) by Fadhil Al Azzawi (Iraq). Published in translation by AUC Press in 2014.
The Last of the Angels, follows the lives of three very different characters whose paths cross in strange and unexpected ways, and all of whom find their fate in the hands of a seven-year-old boy who accidentally speaks to angels through an old chest he finds in his attic.
As remarked by the National News report, “Al Azzawi combines elements of magical realism with satire and realism, expressing both his love for and critique of Iraq through the events that unfold.”
