Arab American Book Award

Arab American Book Award
First awarded2006
Last awardedActive
Websitearabamericanmuseum.org/book-awards/

The Arab American Book Award, established in 2006, is an annual literary award to celebrate and support the research of, and the written work of, Arab Americans and their culture. The Arab American Book Award encourages the publication and excellence of books that preserve and advance the understanding, knowledge, and resources of the Arab American community by celebrating the thoughts and lives of Arab Americans. The purpose of the Award is to inspire authors, educate readers and foster a respect and understanding of the Arab American culture.[1]

The Arab American Book Award was brought about by the Arab American National Museum and faculty members of the nearby University of Toledo. The winning titles are chosen by groups of selected readers including respected authors, university professors, artists and AANM staff. The Awards are given during an invitation only event in the Fall of the award year. The AANM first gave these awards in 2007 for books published in 2006; for 2007, the number of submissions more than doubled from the inaugural year.[2]

To help ensure the continuity of the Arab American Book Award a special endowment fund has been launched with a $10,000 gift from Drs. A. Adnan and Barbara C. Aswad. Dr. Barbara C. Aswad is Professor Emerita of Anthropology at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan and a past president of the Middle Eastern Studies Association and a Board Member Emerita for the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS), parent organization of the Arab American National Museum. Dr. A. Adnan Aswad is Professor Emeritus of Engineering at the University of Michigan–Dearborn. The Aswads, now based in Los Angeles, were inspired to make the gift after the inaugural Book Award ceremony in Fall 2007.[2]

In 2011, the non-fiction prize was renamed to honor the legacy and contributions to Arab American scholarship of Evelyn Shakir, who died of breast cancer in 2010. In addition to winning the Arab American Book Award for Fiction in 2008, Professor Shakir extensively researched the history of Arab women and wrote the groundbreaking work Bint Arab: Arab and Arab American Women in the United States in 1997. Evelyn's longtime partner, poet George Ellenbogen, established the award in collaboration with the Arab American National Museum.[3]

Chronology change (2009)

In 2009, The Arab American Book Award Committee changed the name of the '2008 Arab American Book Award' to the '2009 Arab American Book Award' in order to reflect the true award date instead of the publication date of the winning books. All dates in the previous Award years were also changed retroactively. While the date within the Award name has changed, the rules regarding the publication dates for eligible submissions have not.

Award recipients

Adult fiction

Winners and honorable mentions in Adult fiction[4]
Year Author(s) Title Result Ref.
2007 Hisham Matar In the Country of Men Winner [5]
2008 Evelyn Shakir Remember Me to Lebanon Winner [6]
Diana Abu-Jaber Origin Honorable mention [6]
2009 Randa Jarrar A Map of Home: A Novel Winner [7]
2010 Etel Adnan Master of the Eclipse: And Other Stories Winner [8]
2011 Thérèse Soukar Chehade Loom: a Novel Winner [9][10]
2012 Diana Abu-Jaber Birds of Paradise Winner [11]
Hisham Matar Anatomy of a Disappearance Honorable mention [11]
2013 Joseph Geha Lebanese Blonde Winner [12]
Hedy Habra Flying Carpets Honorable mention [12]
2014 Sinan Antoon The Corpse Washer Winner [13]
Claire Messud The Woman Upstairs Honorable mention [13]
2015 Rabih Alameddine An Unnecessary Woman Winner (tie) [14][15]
Laila Lalami The Moor's Account
2016 Susan Muaddi Darraj A Curious Land Winner [16]
Rajia Hassib In the Language of Miracles Honorable mention [16]
2017 Rabih Alameddine The Angel of History Winner [17]
Mona Awad 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl Honorable mention [17]
2018 Hala Alyan Salt Houses Winner [18]
2019 Lena Mahmoud Amreekiya Winner [19]
2020 Laila Lalami The Other Americans Winner [20][21][22]
Etaf Rum A Woman is No Man Honorable mention [20]
2021 Susan Abulhawa Against the Loveless World Winner [21][23]
Dima Alzayat Alligator And Other Stories Honorable mention [23]
2022 Eman Quotah Bride of the Sea Winner [24][21]
2023 Chelsea Abdullah The Stardust Thief Winner (tie) [21][25][26]
Noor Naga If an Egyptian Cannot Speak English

Evelyn Shakir Non-Fiction Award

Prior to 2011, this award was referred to primarily as the Non-Fiction Award.

Winners and honorable mentions in non-fiction[4]
Year Author(s) Title Result Ref.
2007 Rashid Khalidi The Iron Cage Winner [5]
Randa Kayyali The Arab Americans Honorable mention [5]
Tim Jon Semmerling “Evil” Arabs in American Popular Film
2008 John Tofik Karam Another Arabesque Winner [6]
Raff Ellis Kisses from a Distance Honorable mention [6]
Nawal Nasrallah Annals of the Caliphs’ Kitchens
2009 Moustafa Bayoumi How Does It Feel to Be a Problem?: Being Young and Arab in America Winner [7]
Fayeq Oweis The Encyclopedia of Arab American Artists Honorable mention [7]
Saree Makdisi Palestine Inside Out: An Everyday Occupation
2010 Gregory Orfalea Angeleno Days: An Arab American Writer on Family, Place, and Politics Winner [8]
Louise Cainkar Homeland Insecurity: The Arab American and Muslim American Experience After 9/11 Honorable mention [8]
Alia Malek A Country Called Amreeka: Arab Roots, American Stories.
2011 Samir Abu-Absi Arab Americans in Toledo: Cultural Assimilation and Community Involvement edited Winner [9][10]
Manal M. Omar Barefoot in Baghdad Honorable mention [9][10]
2012 Rabab Abdulhadi, Evelyn Alsultany and Nadine Naber (eds.) Arab and Arab-American Feminisms: Gender, Violence, & Belonging edited Winner [11]
Steven Salaita Modern Arab-American Fiction: A Reader's Guide Honorable mention [11]
2013 Anthony Shadid House of Stone: A Memoir of Home, Family, and Lost Middle East Winner [12]
Sophia Al Maria The Girl Who Fell to Earth Honorable mention [12]
Soha Al-Jurf Even My Voice Is Silence
2014 Nadje Al-Ali and Deborah Al-Najjar We Are Iraqis: Aesthetics and Politics in a Time of War edited Winner [13]
Evelyn Alsultany and Ella Shohat Between the Middle East and the Americas: The Cultural Politics of Diaspora edited Honorable mention [13]
Laila el-Haddad and Maggie Schmitt The Gaza Kitchen: A Palestinian Cultural Journey
2015 Sally Howell Old Islam in Detroit: Rediscovering the Muslim American Past Winner [14][15]
2016 Moustafa Bayoumi This Muslim American Life: Dispatches from the War on Terror Winner (tie) [16]
Mona M. Amer and Germine H. Awad Handbook of Arab American Psychology
2017 Steven Salaita Inter/Nationalism: Decolonizing Native America and Palestine Winner [17]
Hanan Hammad Industrial Sexuality: Gender, Urbanization, and Social Transformation in Egypt Honorable mention [17]
2018 Pamela E. Pennock The Rise of the Arab-American Left: Activists, Allies, and Their Fight Against Imperialism and Racism, 1960s–1980s Winner [18]
Mehammed Amadeus Mack Sexagon: Muslims, France, and the Sexualization of National Culture Honorable mention [18]
2019 Oswaldo Truzzi Syrian and Lebanese Patricios in São Paulo, Winner [19]
2020 Massoud Hayoun When We Were Arabs: A Jewish Family's Forgotten History Winner (tie) [20][21]
Stacy Fahrenthold Between the Ottomans and the Entente: The First World War in the Syrian and Lebanese Diaspora, 1908-1925
Sherine Hafez Women of the Midan: The Untold Stories of Egypt's Revolutionaries Honorable mention [20]
2021 Sarah M.A. Gualtieri Arab Routes: Pathways to Syrian California Winner (tie) [23][21]
Helen Zughaib and Elia Zughaib Stories My Father Told Me
Sirène Harb Articulations Of Resistance: Transformative Practices in Contemporary Arab American Poetry Honorable mention [23]
2022 Mansoor Adayfe Don't Forget Us Here Winner (tie) [24][21]
Zainab Saleh Return to Ruin: Iraqi Narratives of Exile and Nostalgia
Michael W. Suleiman, Suad Joseph, and Louise Cainkar Arab American Women: Representation and Refusal Honorable mention [24]
2023 Edward E. Curtis IV Muslims of the Heartland Winner (tie) [21][25][26]
Ghassan Zeineddine, Nabeel Abraham, and Sally Howell (Eds.) Hadha Baladuna
Evelyn Alsultany Broken: The Failed Promise of Muslim Inclusion Honorable mention [25][26]
Louise Cainkar, Pauline Homsi Vinson, and Amira Jarmakani (Eds.) Sajjilu: A Reader in SWANA Studies Honorable mention
Luma Mufleh Learning America: One Woman's Fight for Educational Justice for Refugee Children Honorable mention

Children's/Young Adult

Children's/Young Adult winners and honorable mentions[4][27][28]
Year Author(s) Title Result Ref.
2007 Eve Bunting with Ted Lewin (illus.) One Green Apple Winner [5]
2008 Ibtisam Barakat Tasting the Sky: A Palestinian Childhood Winner [6]
2009 Naomi Shihab Nye Honeybee: Poems & Short Prose Winner [7]
2010 No winner [8]
2011 Diane Stanley Saving Sky Winner [9][10]
Maha Addasi with Ned Gannon (illus.) Time to Pray Honorable mention [9][10]
2012 No winner
2013 Karen Leggett Abouraya and Susan L. Roth Hands Around the Library: Protecting Egypt's Treasured Books Winner [12]
Tahereh Mafi Shatter Me Honorable mention [12]
2014 Yvonne Wakim Dennis and Maha Addasi Kids Guide to Arab American History Winner [13]
Saima S. Hussain The Arab World Thought of It Honorable mention [13]
2015 Naomi Shihab Nye The Turtle of Oman Winner [14][15]
Elsa Marston with Claire Ewart (illus.) The Olive Tree Honorable mention [14]
2016 No Winner [16]
2017 Michelle Chalfoun The Treasure of Maria Mamoun Winner [17]
Hayan Charara The Three Lucys Honorable mention [17]
Ibtisam Barakat Balcony on the Moon: Coming of Age in Palestine
2018 No Winner [18]
2019 Hoda Kotb I’ve Loved You Since Forever Winner [19]
Somaiya Daud Mirage Honorable mention [19]
2020 Malaka Gharib I Was Their American Dream: A Graphic Memoir Winner [20][29]
Jasmine Warga Other Words for Home Honorable mention [20]
2021 Aya Khalil with Anait Semirdzhyan (illus.) The Arabic Quilt Winner (tie) [23]
Susan Muaddi Darraj Farah Rocks Fifth Grade
2022 Safia Elhillo Home is Not a Country Winner [24]
2023 Cathy Camper Arab, Arab All Year Long! Winner (C) [25][26]
Rashida Tlaib, Adam Tlaib, and Miranda Paul Mama in Congress: Rashida Tlaib's Journey to Washington Honorable mention (C) [25][26]
Nora Lester Murad Ida in the Middle Winner (YA) [25][26]
Naomi Shihab Nye The Turtle of Michigan Honorable mention (YA) [25][26]

George Ellenbogen Poetry Award

Winners and honorable mentions in poetry[4]
Year Author(s) Title Result Ref.
2009 Suheir Hammad breaking poems Winner [7]
2010 Dunya Mikhail Diary of a Wave Outside the Sea Winner [8]
2011 Khaled Mattawa Tocqueville Winner [9][10]
Farid Matuk This Is a Nice Neighborhood Honorable mention [9][10]
2012 Philip Metres Abu Ghraib Arias Winner [11]
Naomi Shihab Nye Transfer Honorable mention [11]
2013 Hala Alyan Atrium Winner [12]
Etel Adnan Sea and Fog Honorable mention [12]
2014 Philip Metres A Concordance of Leaves Winner [13]
Farid Matuk My Daughter La Chola Honorable mention [13]
Fady Joudah Alight
2015 Matthew Shenoda Tahrir Suite: Poems Winner [14][15]
Samuel Hazo And the Time Is: Poems, 1958-2003 Honorable mention [14]
2016 Nathalie Handal The Republics Winner [16][30]
Philip Metres Sand Opera Honorable mention [16]
2017 Hayan Charara Something Sinister Winner [17]
Lauren Camp One Hundred Hungers Honorable mention [17]
Mohja Kahf Hagar Poems
2018 Safia Elhillo The January Children Winner [18]
Lena Khalaf Tuffaha Water & Salt Honorable mention [18]
2019 Fady Joudah Footnotes in the Order of Disappearance Winner [19]
Noor Al-Samarrai El Cerrito Honorable mention [19]
2020 Zaina Alsous A Theory of Birds Winner [20]
Marwa Helal Invasive Species Honorable mention [20]
2021 George Abraham Birthright Winner [23]
Noor Naga Washes, Prays Honorable mention [23]
2022 Threa Almontaser The Wild Fox of Yemen Winner [24]
Eli Tareq Bechelany-Lynch The Good Arabs Honorable mention [24]
2023 Zeina Hashem Beck O Winner [25][26]
Noor Hindi DEAR GOD. DEAR BONES. DEAR YELLOW. Honorable mention [25][26]
Lubna Safi Your Blue and the Quiet Lament

See also

References

  1. ^ Arab American Book Award Official Webpage http://www.arabamericanmuseum.org/bookaward Archived 2018-03-31 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ a b Arab American National Museum Press Release, October 13, 2008
  3. ^ Evelyn Shakir: Remembering a West Roxbury writing pioneer "Evelyn Shakir: Remembering a West Roxbury writing pioneer - Taunton, MA - the Taunton Gazette". Archived from the original on 2012-04-07. Retrieved 2011-10-25.
  4. ^ a b c d Howe, Judy. "Research Guides: Award-winning books in the SCC Library: Arab American Book Awards". Sacramento City College. Retrieved 2023-10-29.
  5. ^ a b c d "2007 Arab American Book Award Winners". Arab American National Museum. Archived from the original on 2022-03-06. Retrieved 2022-03-06.
  6. ^ a b c d e "2008 Arab American Book Award Winners". Archived from the original on 2022-03-06. Retrieved 2022-03-06.
  7. ^ a b c d e "2009 Arab American Book Award Winners". Arab American National Museum. Archived from the original on 2022-03-06. Retrieved 2022-03-06.
  8. ^ a b c d e "2010 Arab American Book Award Winners". Arab American National Museum. Archived from the original on 2022-03-06. Retrieved 2022-03-06.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g "2011 Arab American Book Award Winners". Arab American National Museum. Archived from the original on 2022-03-06. Retrieved 2022-03-06.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g "Awards: PEN/Malamud, Arab American Book Winners". Shelf Awareness. 2011-06-13. Archived from the original on 2022-08-11. Retrieved 2022-03-06.
  11. ^ a b c d e f "2012 Arab American Book Award Winners". Arab American National Museum. Archived from the original on 2022-03-06. Retrieved 2022-03-06.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h "2013 Arab American Book Award Winners". Arab American National Museum. Archived from the original on 2022-03-06. Retrieved 2022-03-06.
  13. ^ a b c d e f g h "2014 Arab American Book Award Winners". Arab American National Museum. Archived from the original on 2022-03-06. Retrieved 2022-03-06.
  14. ^ a b c d e f "2015 Arab American Book Award Winners". Arab American National Museum. Archived from the original on 2022-03-06. Retrieved 2022-03-06.
  15. ^ a b c d Goolrick, Robert (2015-08-10). "Awards: Arab American Book". Shelf Awareness. Archived from the original on 2022-03-06. Retrieved 2022-03-06.
  16. ^ a b c d e f "2016 Arab American Book Award Winners". Arab American National Museum. Archived from the original on 2022-02-27. Retrieved 2022-03-06.
  17. ^ a b c d e f g h "2017 Arab American Book Award Winners". Arab American National Museum. Archived from the original on 2022-03-06. Retrieved 2022-03-06.
  18. ^ a b c d e f "2018 Arab American Book Award Winners". Arab American National Museum. Archived from the original on 2022-03-06. Retrieved 2022-03-06.
  19. ^ a b c d e f "2019 Arab American Book Awards". Arab American National Museum. Archived from the original on 2022-03-06. Retrieved 2022-03-06.
  20. ^ a b c d e f g h "2020 Arab American Book Award Winners". Arab American National Museum. Archived from the original on 2021-10-27. Retrieved 2022-03-06.
  21. ^ a b c d e f g h Contreraz, Victoria. "LibGuides: Literary Awards: 2020 - Present". Montana State University. Retrieved 2023-10-29.
  22. ^ Weber, Jessica (2020-10-22). "Laila Lalami winner of 2020 Arab American Book Award". Inside UCR. University of California, Riverside. Retrieved 2023-10-29.
  23. ^ a b c d e f g "2021 Arab American Book Award Winners". Arab American National Museum. Archived from the original on 2022-01-19. Retrieved 2022-03-06.
  24. ^ a b c d e f "2022 Arab American Book Award Winners". Arab American National Museum. Archived from the original on 2023-05-30. Retrieved 2023-10-28.
  25. ^ a b c d e f g h i "2023 Arab American Book Award Winners". Arab American National Museum. Archived from the original on 2023-10-12. Retrieved 2023-10-28.
  26. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Awards: Arab American Book Winners". Shelf Awareness. 2023-09-12. Retrieved 2023-10-29.
  27. ^ Melilli, Amanda. "LibGuides: Children's and Young Adult Literature: Arab American Book Awards". University of Nevada, Las Vegas Libraries. Archived from the original on 2022-11-29. Retrieved 2023-10-29.
  28. ^ Kofoed, Sharon. "Research Guides: Handy Topics in the Curriculum Department: Arab American Book Award, Children/Young Adult". University of Nebraska at Kearney. Retrieved 2023-10-29.
  29. ^ "2020 Arab American Book Awards Include Award's First-ever Prize for Graphic Memoir". ARABLIT & ARABLIT QUARTERLY. 2020-08-31. Archived from the original on 2022-12-24. Retrieved 2023-03-13.
  30. ^ "The newly sworn-in librarian of Congress, Lynda Barry's graphic novel art show, and more". World Literature Today. 2016-09-23. Archived from the original on 2022-12-02. Retrieved 2023-03-13.