The International Prize for Arabic Fiction (IPAF) (), also known as "the Arabic Booker", is regarded as 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 through the translation and publication of winning and shortlisted novels in other major languages. In addition to the prize itself, IPAF supports other literary initiatives. In 2009, IPAF launched its inaugural nadwa (writers' workshop) for emerging writers of fiction in Arabic.
The prize is administered by the Booker Prize Foundation in London, and is currently funded by Department of Culture and Tourism, Abu Dhabi (DCT).
Each year, the winner of the prize receives US$50,000, and the six shortlisted authors receive US$10,000 each.
Notable trustees Yasir Suleiman CBE, Professor of Arabic, University of Cambridge, Chair of Trustees Evelyn Smith, Booker Prize Foundation, Company Secretary Isobel Abulhoul OBE, CEO, Emirates Literature Foundation Yassin Adnan, Moroccan journalist, broadcaster and writer Nujoom Alghanem, poet, script writer and a multi-award-winning Emirati filmmaker Rasheed El-Enany, Egyptian literary scholar, Professor Emeritus of the University of Exeter Omar Ghobash, Emirati author, businessman, and diplomat Zaki Nusseibeh, UAE Minister of State Ahdaf Soueif, Egyptian author and political and cultural commentator Jonathan Taylor, former chair of the Booker Prize Foundation
Winners and nominees = winner {| class="wikitable sortable" |+ Winner and nominees |- ! Year !! Status !! Author !! Title !! Country !! Publisher |- | rowspan="6" | 2008 || Winner || Bahaa Taher || style="background:gold;white-space:nowrap" | Sunset Oasis || Egypt || na |- | rowspan="5" | Shortlist|| Jabbour Douaihy || June's Rain || Lebanon || Dar An Nahar, Beirut |- | Elias Farkouh || The Land of Purgatory || Jordan || na |- | Khaled Khalifa || In Praise of Hatred || Syria || Amisa, Damascus |- | May Menassa || Walking in the Dust || Lebanon || na |- | Mekkaoui Said || Swan Song || Egypt || na |- | rowspan="16" | 2009 || Winner || Youssef Ziedan || style="background:gold;white-space:nowrap" | Azazeel || Egypt || na |- | rowspan="5" | Shortlist|| Inaam Kachachi || The American Granddaughter || Iraq || Dar Al-Jadid, Beirut |- | Mohamed El-Bisatie || Hunger || Egypt || Dar Al-Adab, Beirut |- | Habib Selmi || The Scents of Marie-Claire || Tunisia || Dar Al-Adab, Beirut |- | Ibrahim Nasrallah || Time of White Horses || Palestine/Jordan || Arab Scientific Publishers, Beirut and Algiers |- | Fawaz Haddad || The Unfaithful Translator || Syria || na |- | rowspan="10" | Longlist|| Ezzedine Choukri Fishere || Intensive Care || Egypt || na |- | Abdelkarim Jouaiti|| Platoon of Rain || Morocco || na |- | Ali al-Muqri || Black Taste, Black Odour || Yemen || Dar Al-Saqi, Beirut |- | Ali Bader || The Tobacco Guard || Iraq || na |- | Ibrahim al-Koni || The Tumour || Libya || Arab Instt. for Publishing and Studies, Beirut |- | Muhammed Abu Maatouk || The Bottle and the Genie || Syria || Al Kawkab, Beirut |- | Renée Hayek || Prayer for the Family || Lebanon || na |- | Bensalem Himmich || The Man from Andalucia || Morocco || Dar Al-Adab, Beirut |- | Yahya Yakhlif || Ma' Al Sama || Palestine || Dar al Shorouk, Amman |- | Rabee Jaber || The Confessions || Lebanon || na |- | rowspan="16" | 2010 || Winner|| Abdo Khal || style="background:gold;white-space:nowrap" | Throwing Sparks || Saudi Arabia || na |- | rowspan="5" | Shortlist|| Rabai al-Madhoun || The Lady from Tel Aviv || Palestine || Arab Institute for Research and Publishing, Beirut |- | Mansoura Ez Eldin || Beyond Paradise || Egypt || na |- | Rabee Jaber || America || Lebanon || Arab Cultural Centre, Morocco and Lebanon |- | Mohamed Mansi Qandil || A Cloudy Day on the West Side || Egypt || Dar El-Shorouk, Cairo |- | Jamal Naji || When the Wolves Grow Old || Jordan || Ministry of Culture Publications, Amman |- | rowspan="10" | Longlist|| Omaima Abdullah Al-Khamis || The Leafy Tree || Saudi Arabia || Dar Al-Mada, Damascus |- | Ali Bader || Kings of the Sands || Iraq || Kaleem Publishing, Abu Dhabi |- | Muhsin Al-Ramli || Fingers of Dates || Iraq || Arab Scientific Publishers, Beirut |- | Abdullah Bin Bakheet || Street of Affections || Saudi Arabia || Dar Al-Saqi, Beirut |- | Samir Kacimi || A Great Day to Die || Algeria || Al-Ikhtilaf, Algeria |- | Alawiya Sobh || It's Called Love || Lebanon || na |- | Hassan Daoud || 180 Sunsets || Lebanon || Dar Al-Saqi, Beirut |- | Rosa Yaseen Hasan || The Guards of the Air || Syria || Al-Kawkab, Beirut |- | Mahmoud al-Rimawy || Who Will Cheer up the Lady? || Palestine || na |- | Sahar Khalifeh || Origin and Branch || Palestine || na |- | rowspan="16" | 2011 || rowspan="2" | Winner|| Mohammed Achaari || style="background:gold;white-space:nowrap" | The Arch and the Butterfly || Morocco || na |- | Raja'a Alem || style="background:gold;white-space:nowrap" | The Dove's Necklace || Saudi Arabia || na |- | rowspan="4" | Shortlist|| Bensalem Himmich || My Tormentor || Morocco || na |- | Miral al-Tahawy || Brooklyn Heights || Egypt || na |- | Amir Tag Elsir || The Hunter of the Chrysalises || Sudan || Thaqafa I-al-Nashr - Cultural Publications |- | Khaled al-Berry || An Oriental Dance || Egypt || na |- | rowspan="10" | Longlist|| Renée Hayek || A Short Life || Lebanon || na |- | Fatin al-Murr || Common Sins || Lebanon || na |- | Ibtisam Ibrahim Teresa || The Eye of the Sun || Syria || na |- | Khairy Shalaby || Istasia || Egypt || na |- | Maha Hassan || Umbilical Cord || Syria || na |- | Maqbul Moussa al-Alawi || Turmoil in Jeddah || Saudi Arabia || na |- | Razan Naim al-Maghrabi || Women of Wind || Libya || na |- | Waciny Laredj || The Andalucian House || Algeria || na |- | Fawaz Haddad || God's Soldiers || Syria || na |- | Ali al-Muqri || The Handsome Jew || Yemen || na |- | rowspan="13" | 2012 || Winner|| Rabee Jaber || style="background:gold;white-space:nowrap" | The Druze of Belgrade || Lebanon || na |- | rowspan="5" | Shortlist|| Jabbour Douaihy || The Vagrant || Lebanon || na |- | Ezzedine Choukri Fishere || Embrace on Brooklyn Bridge || Egypt || na |- | Nasr Iraq || The Unemployed || Egypt || na |- | Bachir Mufti || Toy of Fire || Algeria || na |- | Habib Selmi || The Women of al-Basatin || Tunisia || na |- | rowspan="7" | Longlist|| Fadi Azzam || Sarmada || Syria || na |- | Rashid al-Daif || Paving the Sea || Lebanon || na |- | Sharbel Qatan || Suitcases of Memory || Lebanon || na |- | Hawra al-Nadawi || Under the Copenhagen Sky || Iraq || na |- | Youssef Ziedan || The Nabatean || Egypt || na |- | Mohamed al-Refai || Nocturnal Creatures of Sadness || Egypt || na |- | Ibrahim al-Zaarur || The Amazing Journey of Khair al-Din ibn Zard || Palestine || na |- | rowspan="16" | 2013 || Winner|| Saud Alsanousi || style="background:gold;white-space:nowrap" | The Bamboo Stalk || Kuwait || Arab Scientific Publishers |- | rowspan="5" | Shortlist|| Sinan Antoon || Ave Maria || Iraq || Al-Jamal |- | Jana Elhassan || I, She and Other Women || Lebanon || Arab Scientific Publishers |- | Mohammed Hassan Alwan || The Beaver || Saudi Arabia || Dar al-Saqi |- | Ibrahim Issa || Our Master || Egypt || Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation |- | Hussein Al-Wad || His Excellency the Minister || Tunisia || Dar al-Janub |- | rowspan="10" | Longlist|| Ashraf El-Ashmawi || Toya || Egypt || Al-Dar al-Masriya al-Lubnaniya |- | Hoda Barakat || The Kingdom of this Earth || Lebanon || Dar al-Adab |- | Anwar Hamed || Jaffa Prepares Morning Coffee || Palestine || Arab Instt. for Research and Publishing |- | Rabee Jaber || The Birds of the Holiday Inn || Lebanon || Dar al-Tanwir |- | Elias Khoury || Sinalkul || Lebanon || Dar al-Adab |- | Waciny Laredj || Lolita's Fingers || Algeria || Dar al-Adab |- | Mohammed Abdel Nabi || The Return of the Sheikh || Egypt || Rawafid |- | Ibrahim Nasrallah || Lanterns of the King of Galilee || Palestine/Jordan || Arab Scientific Publishers |- | Muhsin al-Ramly || The President's Gardens || Iraq || Thaqafa |- | Amin Zaoui || The Goatherd || Algeria || Al-Ikhtilef |- | rowspan="16" | 2014 || Winner|| Ahmed Saadawi || style="background:gold;white-space:nowrap" | Frankenstein in Baghdad || Iraq || Al-Jamal |- | rowspan="5" | Shortlist|| Youssef Fadel || A Rare Blue Bird that Flies with Me || Morocco || Dar al-Adab |- | Inaam Kachachi || Tashari || Iraq || Dar al-Jadid |- | Khaled Khalifa || No Knives in this City's Kitchens || Syria || Dar al-Ain |- | Abdelrahim Lahbibi || The Journeys of 'Abdi || Morocco || Africa East |- | Ahmed Mourad || The Blue Elephant || Egypt || Dar al-Shorouq |- | rowspan="10" | Longlist|| Ibrahim Abdel Meguid|| Clouds Over Alexandria || Egypt || Dar al-Shorouq |- | Badryah El-Bishr || Love Stories on al-Asha Street || Saudi Arabia || Dar al-Saqi |- | Antoine Douaihy || The Bearer of the Purple Rose || Lebanon || Arab Scientific Publishers |- | Amir Tag Elsir || 366 || Sudan || Arab Scientific Publishers |- | Ismail Ghazali || The Season of Pike Fishing || Morocco || Dar al-Ain |- | Ismail Fahd Ismail || The Phoenix and the Faithful Friend || Kuwait || Arab Scientific Publishers |- | Ashraf al-Khamaisi || God's Land of Exile || Egypt || Al-Hadara |- | Waciny Laredj || Ashes of the East: The Wolf who Grew Up in the Wilderness || Algeria || Al-Jamal |- | Ibrahim Nasrallah || The Edge of the Abyss || Palestine/Jordan || Arab Scientific Publishers |- | Abdel Khaliq al-Rikabi || The Sad Night of Ali Baba || Iraq || Arab Institute for Research and Publishing |- | rowspan="16" | 2015 || Winner || Shukri Mabkhout || style="background:gold;white-space:nowrap" | The Italian || Tunisia || na |- | rowspan="5" | Shortlist|| Atef Abu Saif || A Suspended Life || Palestine || na |- | Jana ElHassan || Floor 99 || Lebanon || na |- | Lina Hawyan Elhassan || Diamonds and Women || Syria || na |- | Hammour Ziada || The Longing of the Dervish || Sudan || na |- | Ahmed el-Madini || Willow Alley || Morocco || na |- | rowspan="10" | Longlist|| Antoine Douaihy || Drowning in Lake Morez || Lebanon || na |- | Ashraf al-Khamaisi || Sharp Turning || Egypt || na |- | Mohammed Berrada || Far from Clamour, Close to Silence || Morocco || na |- | Hadia Hussein || Riyam and Kafa || Iraq || na |- | Abdel Wahab al-Hamadi || Don't Tell Your Nightmare! || Kuwait || na |- | Hisham al-Khashin || Graphite || Egypt || na |- | Habib Abdulrab Sarori || The Daughter of Suslov || Yemen || na |- | Muna al-Sheemi || The Size of a Grape || Egypt || na |- | Jabbour Douaihy || The American Neighbourhood || Lebanon || na |- | Maha Hassan || Female Voices || Syria || na |- | rowspan="16" | 2016 || Winner|| Rabai al-Madhoun || style="background:gold;white-space:nowrap" | Destinies: Concerto of the Holocaust and the Nakba || Palestine || na |- | rowspan="5" | Shortlist|| Mohamed Rabie || Mercury || Egypt || na |- | Shahla Ujayli || A Sky Close to Our House || Syria || na |- | Tareq Bakari || Numedia || Morocco || na |- | Mahmoud Shukair || Praise for the Women of the Family || Palestine || na |- | George Yaraq || The Guard of the Dead || Lebanon || na |- | rowspan="10" | Longlist|| Taleb Alrefai || Here || Kuwait || na |- | Laila al-Atrash || Hymns of Temptation || Palestine || na |- | Ibrahim Farghali || The Temple of Silken Fingers || Egypt || na |- | Janan Jasim Halawi || People of the Palms || Iraq || na |- | Mahmoud Hasan al-Jasim || Mariam's Journey || Syria || na |- | Hazim Kamaledin || Desertified Waters || Iraq || na |- | Abdennour Mezzine || Letters of the Storm || Morocco || na |- | Ahmed Muhsin || Warsaw a Little While Ago || Lebanon || na |- | Hamed al-Nazir || The Prophecy of Saqqa|| Sudan || na |- | Mohamed Mansi Qandil || The Black Brigade || Egypt || na |-