Chairman of the committee of international Arab fiction conference, Waciny Laredj told Al Bawaba News Wednesday that novelist; Bahaa Taher won the best novel award unanimously. Laredj said the committee has followed all the procedures to ensure the contest fairness and formed a list of 11 novelists, only four of which were shortlisted, including Taher, who has been unanimously chosen to win the award. The winner's name was announced during the distribution of the international prize for Arabic fiction ceremony, held at the small stage of Cairo opera house in Zamalek.