International Prize for Arabic Fiction Launches Second Editing Workshop in Jordan
17/10/2025
The International Prize for Arabic Fiction (IPAF) this week launches its second Editing Workshop, taking place from 19-23 October in Jordan at the Abdul Hameed Shoman Foundation.
The five-day workshop follows on from the inaugural Editing Workshop held in January this year and brings together editors from Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon and Palestine. It aims to develop the skills of professionals in the Arab publishing world and encourage excellence in the industry.
The workshop will be led by two experienced names in Arabic publishing: Lebanese
publishing consultant at Al-Karma Publishers, Samar Abou Zeid, and Egyptian publishing director of Dar Khan al-Janub in Berlin and 2016 IPAF-shortlisted author, Mohammed Rabie. They will lead a varied itinerary of theoretical and practical sessions covering many aspects of editing.
The participants, drawn from different Arab countries, were chosen for their prior experience working for Arab publishing houses and for their plans to work as literary editors in the future. They are: Amal Ismail (Palestine), Dif Hamza Dif (Algeria), Ruqaya Al Hadithy (Iraq), Sohila Ramadan, Ola Eldeeb, Ahmed Osama and Shady Refaat (all from Egypt), Hanan Eid and Basma El Khatib (both from Lebanon).
Samar Abou ZeidMohammed Rabie and I have been delighted by the enthusiasm shown by editors to join the second iteration of the literary editing workshop, following the success of the first. We are keen to work with this group of Arab editors of diverse nationalities and expertise, and look forward to rich and engaging discussions, with the aim of developing capabilities that will benefit Arab publishing houses. New to this edition are two meetings with prominent Arab writers who will share their experiences of working with editors in publishing houses.
IPAF is the most prestigious and important literary prize in the Arab world. Its aim is to reward excellence in contemporary Arabic creative writing and to encourage the readership of high-quality Arabic literature internationally.
The editing workshop aligns with its mission to promote high quality literature by focusing on the often overlooked but crucial role of literary editors in guiding authors and shaping their novels before publication.
Professor Yasir Suleiman, Chair of IPAF’s Board of TrusteesThis is the second round of the IPAF-sponsored literary editing workshop. Our aim is to contribute to building the infrastructure necessary to raise the standard of literary production in the Arabic speaking world. We hope to continue on this path next year to expand the pool of editors available to Arab publishers whose need for this expertise is well-recognised. The participation of aspiring literary editors from across the Arabic-speaking world, chosen from a large pool of applicants, bodes well for the future.
The editing workshop follows 13 successful iterations of the Creative Writing Nadwa (or workshop) – the first of its kind for Arab writers – held in the UAE, Oman and Jordan. This initiative has seen a total of 95 authors develop their work. The inaugural Editing Workshop took place in January 2025, supporting six editors to develop their practice.