The jury for the literary contest, “One Thousand Nights and Awakening,” has finally concluded its deliberations and arrived at a verdict on the five finalists’ stories. These stories have taken us on an electrifying journey, and we are most grateful to all the contestants for allowing us to catch a glimpse of the symbolic structure sculpting the Arab World and, of course, the astonishing background of their everyday lives. We would also like to expressly acknowledge the courage we believe must have been required for some to stand up to their realities with the aid of language, the elusive armor of systematization with its soothing properties.
Over the next two weeks, from September 15-30, we will host a public voting, open only to the contestants, in order to determine the first and second prize winners. All the stories submitted to the literary contest will be duly published in their original and translated versions on a first come, first served basis, and will be accessible through the map.
We hope this joint endeavor to attach different perspectives to the same picture will allow the world’s rich textures to shine through.
Don’t forget to enjoy the stories!