The International Prize for Arabic Fiction has announced that it is accepting nominations for the fifth session of the award. The six short-listed novels receive a prize worth $10,000, while the winner takes a further $50,000. The award, known as the Arabic Booker, is only for novels written by a living author. Nominations are made by publishing houses as well as the award's jury should they deem an overlooked book worthy of inclusion. Novels published novels between August 2010 and the closing date are eligible. Launched in 2007, the award has garnered considerable controversy in previous years. Its first recipient was the Egyptian novelist Bahaa Taher for Sunset Oasis in 2008. In March of this year, the prize was shared between Raja Alem (Saudi Arabia) for The Dove's Necklace and Mohammed Achaari (Morocco) for The Arch and the Butterfly.
