Afgelopen week wonnen Hassan Blasim en Jonathan Wright de Independent Foreign Fiction Prize met de verhalenbundel The Iraqi Christ. Blasim en vertaler Wright kregen ieder £5,000: ‘the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize gives the winning author and translator equal status.’

Uit het juryrapport:

A decade after the Western invasion and occupation of Iraq, that country’s writers are exploring the brutal and chaotic aftermath of war and tyranny with ever-growing confidence. Among them, Hassan Blasim stands out for his fearless candour and rule-busting artistry. The 14 stories of The Iraqi Christ, often surreal in style but always rooted in heart-breaking truth, depict this pitiless era with deep compassion, pitch-black humour and a visionary yearning for another, better life. Jonathan Wright’s translation from the Arabic captures all of their passion, their desperation and their soaring imaginative energy. The Iraqi Christ is not only the first Arabic book to win the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize, but a classic work of post-war witness, mourning and revolt.