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Why it matters
The first Arabic-language novel to win the prize brought an intimate, nonlinear portrait of Omani society to a wider readership.
A celebrated work
Celestial Bodies
Jokha Alharthi2019 selection · Translated fiction
Celestial Bodies
Three sisters in the Omani village of al-Awafi make different choices about marriage, education, and their futures. Their family's interwoven histories reveal how slavery, wealth, love, and social change continue to shape life across generations.
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Read this if…
You value multigenerational family fiction told through shifting perspectives.
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Ideas inside
FamilyOmani societySlaverySocial change
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International Booker Prize — official winner recordOfficial record↗ (opens in a new tab)