My hope is to see more young people put their pen to paper and write about their quotidian lives, with their ebbs and flows.

He is the co-author of three books, and his work has appeared (and is forthcoming) in Michigan Quarterly Review, Arablit, Arablit Quarterly, Asheville Poetry Review, Banipal, Prospectus, Sekka, Journal of North African Studies, International Journal of Middle East Studies, Middle Eastern Literatures and Comparative Literature, among others. His translation of Mohamed Choukri’s two short story collections, Flower Crazy and The Tent, is forthcoming from Yale University Press. Elbousty has received many awards, including the Ordre des Palmes Académiques, the A. Whitney Griswold Faculty Research Fund and the 2020 Poorvu Family Award for excellence in teaching at Yale University.

‘I was so elated to see that many young people in the Arab world are writing short stories. This is evidenced by the vast number of submissions we in the Arab world crafting riveting and moving stories is both heart-warming and inspiring. We received a small number of submissions in the more. We didn’t have a chance to evaluate more pieces as we had wished, and I hope this category receives more submissions in subsequent years of the Sekka prize.

- egory is an unequivocal indication of the youth’s - ing, in particular. Some of the pieces submitted for the Sekka inaugural literary award are both fascinating and deeply moving. Furthermore, a few pieces showcase the participants’ understanding and familiarity with the art of short story writing: character development, climax, dialogue, imagery, etc.

- when the submissions include excellent pieces. - reading. “Shoeboxes in the Sky” and “The Drive Home” are two riveting pieces capturing the read

ers’ attention and imaginations; the two writers use vivid descriptions that appeal to the readers’ senses. In short, their usage of imagery is superb.

- sions, “Archipelago of Grief” stood out from my explores the nature of death and the long-lasting grief human beings endure when faced with the loss of loved ones. The cultural details that are unlikely familiar to English readers are very lucid in this piece.

I want to congratulate Sekka for this amazing initiative. Awards like these encourage young people in the region to write about and express their feelings, fears, aspirations, hopes and dilemmas in beautifully woven texts. My hope is to see more young people put their pen to paper and write about their quotidian lives, with their ebbs and