Egyptian Novelist Salwa Bakr Wins First BRICS Literature Award

Egyptian novelist Salwa Bakr has been awarded the first BRICS Literature Award, her win announced during the BRICS Countries Arts Festival held at the City Palace of Culture in Khabarovsk. The prize — which includes a monetary award of one million Russian rubles — recognises her long and acclaimed career in Arabic prose. Bakr is an established literary figure whose body of work spans seven short-story collections, seven novels, and a play. Her writing has been translated into several European languages and widely praised for its incisive social insight. The award ceremony brought together cultural figures, diplomats and writers from across the BRICS member countries. Members of the award’s board described the decision to honour Bakr as a strong signal that literature from BRICS and partner nations should occupy a prominent place on the world’s literary map. Among the other nominees was author Reem Al Kamali from the UAE — highlighting the regional diversity represented in this first edition of the award.