MUSCAT: Omanis on Wednesday hailed writer Jokha Alharthi’s “historical achievement” and praised her for bringing “honor” to their Gulf nation after she became the first Arab author to win the Man Booker International prize.
“It is a huge historic achievement for the author, for Oman and for Arabic culture in general,” said Saif Al-Rahbi, an Omani poet, essayist and writer.
“It shows that Omani literature is moving along,” he told AFP.
Alharthi, 40, received the prestigious prize during a ceremony Tuesday in London for her novel “Celestial Bodies” which depicts life in her small Gulf nation.
The 50,000-pound (57,000 euro, $64,000) Man Booker International prize celebrates translated fiction from around the world and is divided equally between the author and the translator.
The judges said Celestial Bodies was “a richly imagined, engaging and poetic insight into a society in transition and into lives previously obscured.”
It tells the story of three sisters who witness the slow pace of development in Omani society during the 20th century.
“I am thrilled that a window has been opened to the rich Arabic culture,” Alharthi told AFP after the ceremony at the Roundhouse in London.
“Oman inspired me but I think international readers can relate to the human values in the book — freedom and love,” she said.
The jury praised an “elegantly structured and taut” novel which “tells of Oman’s coming-of-age through the prism of one family’s losses and loves.”
The director general of Oman’s culture ministry, Said bin Sultan Al-Bussaidi, agreed.
The novel, he said, shows that Alharthi’s work “reflects maturity and has reached an international level.”
“It is an honor for each and every Omani man and woman... (and the prize) will help spread Omani literature across the world,” he added.
Alharthi is the author of two previous collections of short fiction, a children’s book and three novels in Arabic.
She studied classical Arabic poetry at Edinburgh University and teaches at Sultan Qaboos University in Muscat.
In an interview with the BBC at the weekend, Alharthi said she had wanted for a “very long time to write a book about life in Oman (but) couldn’t when she was actually in Oman.”
“But when I went to Edinburgh, the first year was difficult for me, homesickness, cold, so I felt that I need to go back to warmth and feel something from home,” she said.
“Actually writing saved me.”
Her prize-winning novel — which the Guardian newspaper said offers “glimpses into a culture relatively little known in the west” — came out in 2010.
Alharthi said on Tuesday that the novel touches on the history of the slave trade in Oman, an absolute monarchy where Sultan Qaboos, who has ruled since 1970, has been pushing for reform.
For one expert of Arabic and Middle Eastern literature, it could be a game changer for novels emerging from the region.
“It has the potential to orient publishing away from the Arabic novel as answering the question ‘what can we learn about them?’ and toward the Arabic novel as a work of art,” said Marcia Lynx Qualey, editor of ArabLit Quarterly.
“The surge in translation of Arabic-language novels is already in progress, but I think this re-orients publishers somewhat,” she told AFP.
Qualey said there “is definitely a growing interest in works by Gulf authors.”
“In Kuwait, Oman, Saudi, and elsewhere there are authors writing on issues of class, domestic violence, slavery, racism, patriarchy, power, and other issues that are of global interest,” she added.
Celestial Bodies was translated by US academic Marilyn Booth, who teaches Arabic literature at Oxford University.
Jury chair Bettany Hughes said the novel showed “delicate artistry and disturbing aspects of our shared history.”
Omanis praise compatriot for 'historic' Man Booker literature prize
Omanis praise compatriot for 'historic' Man Booker literature prize
Showtime: The best television of 2025
- From belly laughs to gut punches, here are the must-watch shows of the year
‘Adolescence’
This harrowing drama consisted of four episodes, all shot in a single take. It told the story of 13-year-old Jamie Miller (the debut role for Owen Cooper, who deservedly won an Emmy for his faultless performance), who is accused of murdering a schoolmate, and the aftermath of that accusation for his family. “Adolescence” was the perfect blend of style and substance; you could marvel at the “balletic production processes that must have been involved,” as our reviewer noted, even while squirming in your seat at the painfully raw performances of the excellent ensemble cast. “It may be one of the most upsetting shows released this year,” our review concluded, “but it is also a remarkable work of art.”
‘Severance’ S2
Apple’s absorbing sci-fi comedy-drama expanded its universe in season two, as Mark S (Adam Scott) and his team of data refiners dealt with the fallout from their successful, if brief, escape from their ‘severed’ floor — where work and out-of-work memories and personalities are controlled and delineated by a chip embedded in their brains — at Lumon, during which they tried to alert the outside world to the cruelties of their working conditions. “Creator Dan Erickson and director Ben Stiller waste no time in rediscovering the subtle blend of tangible oddness and sinister dystopian creepiness that made the first season such an uncomfortable joy,” our reviewer wrote.
‘Stranger Things’ S5 Vol. 1
At the time of writing, we don’t know whether volume two of the final season of this epic Eighties-set sci-fi horror drama — out Dec. 26 — will be able to maintain the quality of this first volume, but all signs are good. As our reviewer wrote of volume one: “The Duffer Brothers lay down a compelling claim to be the current best-in-class when it comes to making thrilling mainstream TV. Is there anyone better at consistently building tension, releasing it a little through comedy, action, or both, then applying the pressure once again? The four episodes fly by.” There was edge-of-the-seat action and high-stakes jeopardy aplenty, but tempered by the moments of emotional interaction that have been crucial to the show’s success.
‘Mo’ S2
In Mo Amer’s semi-autobiographical comedy drama, he plays Mo Najjar, a Kuwait-born Palestinian refugee living in Houston, Texas, with his mother Yusra (the superb Farah Bsieso), and his older brother Sameer (Omar Elba), who’ve been waiting more than two decades to have their asylum case heard. In season two, our reviewer said, Amer continued to explore “incredibly complex and divisive topics — family, religion, imbalance of power, exile, mental health, parenthood, multiculturalism and much more — with an artful lightness of touch, without ever taking them lightly.”
‘Andor’ S2
The best of the multitude of TV spinoffs from “Star Wars,” “Andor” was only two seasons long, and the majority of viewers would already have known what was coming (spoiler: the events of “Rogue One” were coming). But its story of a population rising up against the erosion of their rights was both convincing and timely. “With ‘Andor,’ (creator Tony) Gilroy and (star Diego) Luna have truly set the gold standard for what future ‘Star Wars’ can be,” our reviewer wrote. “Not just a space opera, but real stories of transformation and beauty.”
‘The Studio’
With “The Studio,” Seth Rogen and his co-creators manage both to skewer Hollywood and remind us why it’s still (sometimes) great (because it can still produce shows like ‘The Studio’). The star-studded comedy about a newly appointed Hollywood studio head, Matt Remick (Grogan), who believes himself to be a supporter of great art, but quickly discovers that he’ll have to park his principles and chase the money, was as sharp a satire as you could wish to see, confronting the inherent silliness of showbusiness but remaining entertaining throughout.
‘Slow Horses’ S5
The fifth season of this excellent, darkly humorous espionage drama wasn’t its strongest, but even so, it trumped most of the competition. British super-spy Jackson Lamb and his crew of misfit agents at Slough House were once again embroiled in high-level conspiracies when their resident tech nerd Roddy gets a glamorous new girlfriend who everyone — or, at least, everyone except for Roddy — can see is well out of his league. That led us into a plot covering Islamic extremism, the British far-right, and much more, all held together by Gary Oldman’s scene-stealing turn as Lamb.
‘Last One Laughing’
Putting a group of 10 comedians in a room for six hours and telling them not to laugh isn’t the greatest premise on paper, but this UK adaptation of the Japanese show “Documental,” featuring a stellar lineup of some of Britain’s funniest people — and host Jimmy Carr — was an absolute joy. From Joe Wilkinson being eliminated by Lou Sanders’ whispered “Naughty tortie” to eventual winner Bob Mortimer’s whimsical flights of fancy, there was so much to love about this endearingly silly show. And credit to the casting directors — the mix of comics was central to its success.
