Announcing the longlists marks the beginning of stage two for the Sheikh Zayed Book Award (SZBA), during which the jury will run a comprehensive evaluation of all the titles that cut.
Young Author saw the highest number of entries of any category of the Award this year, with a total of 881 applications received, recording a remarkable growth of 37% from last year’s tally of 646 total entries. Meanwhile, submissions for Children’s Literature registered a total of 236. Entries came from across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, reaffirming the widespread appeal the Award has earned in Arab countries, and its popularity among creators in various literary fields in the Arab region and around the world.