What caught my attention during the rich and important discussion that took place at a panel session organised by the Mohammed bin Rashid Library, titled "Emiratis at the Booker Prize", among a group of Emirati women writers — centred on the journey of the Emirati novel through the presence and prominence of its authors on the longlist and shortlist of the International Prize for Arabic Fiction, known in media circles as the "Arabic Booker" — was the speakers' emphatic assertion that the Emirati novel has evolved in both form and content, and that Emirati writers have maintained their cultural constants without any attempt to chase the illusion of breaking taboos as an easy route to winning the prize.
In truth, this prize — which is genuinely global in stature, and which the United Arab Emirates sponsors and presents to elevate, develop and support Arab literature and writers, alongside dozens of other awards across all fields of culture — has become a genuine compass for Arab readers, writers, intellectuals, and those with an interest in literary and cultural affairs. The annual controversy stirred by its results confirms the degree of interest and celebration it commands, and clearly demonstrates the significant and distinctive standing that the United Arab Emirates holds across the Arab world in supporting, encouraging, and recognising Arab cultural output and intellectuals.
As for the identity of Emirati writers and their adherence to clear constants that define UAE society, this has disproved the notion that the "Booker" seeks a liberated literature that breaks with constants and provokes certain tendencies that would make it more palatable to Western societies when translated into other cultures.
This argument — which I find genuinely confused — has now collapsed, because it failed to engage with the idea of freedom and its necessity in addressing human and societal issues through literature, instead reducing it to a matter of audacity, breaking taboos, and appeasing the West. The proof lies in the fact that dozens of novels that reached the final stage and won the prize, alongside the Emirati novels that made the longlists and shortlists, were entirely free of any transgression of taboos related to sex, politics, or religion. They presented innovative creative experiences and distinct literary visions within social, historical, and modernist contexts, without touching on the established givens and constants of their societies.
Although the question — when will the Emirati novel reach the winner's podium at the Booker Prize? — remained open without a precise answer, it is open to very optimistic possibilities. Most of those present agreed that the timeframe will not extend beyond 5 years.