Doha, November 02 (QNA) - The Katara Cultural Village has announced the opening of nominations for the 12th Katara Prize for Arabic Novel 2026, running from early November until Jan. 31, 2026.

The prize includes key categories, namely published novels and unpublished novels, research and critical studies, unpublished young adult novels, unpublished historical novels, and published Qatari novels.

General Manager of Katara, Dr. Khalid bin Ibrahim Al Sulaiti, said he is excited about the success of the 11th prize, considering it exceptional because it primarily showcased a slew of new projects and initiatives.

They primarily include the Katara International Prize, dedicated to novels written in English, French, and Spanish, and the project to convert unpublished novels and unpublished historical novels into films using artificial intelligence, as well as the launch of the Katara Youth Novel Competition, devoted to university students across the Arab world, in addition to "The Novel Brings Us Together" initiative, which pairs a Qatari novelist with a novelist from an Arab country.

General Supervisor of the Katara Prize for Arabic Novel, Khalid Abdelrahim Al Sayed, affirmed that the prize committee has made it a tradition to honor a guest of honor from an Arab country at every season of the Katara Arabic Novel Festival.

This initiative, he highlighted, aims to showcase the evolution of the novel in each chosen Arab country through focused seminars and exhibitions, shining a spotlight on its literary milestones.

Al Sayed pointed out that opting for Saudi novels as a guest of honor for the 11th prize has contributed to pitching them in terms of origin and evolution, addressing their key champions, namely the late novelist and diplomat Ghazi Abdul Rahman Al Gosaibi, who was chosen as the character of the year. (QNA)