Palestinian author Ibtisam Azem's fictional story The Book of Disappearance is longlisted for the International Booker Prize 2025. The author and the novel's publisher, And Other Stories Publishing, announced the feat on Instagram on Tuesday. Originally published in Arabic, the book is translated into English by Sinan Antoon.
Following the lives of Palestinian character Alaa and his liberal Zionist neighbour Ariel, the story imagines a what-if scenario where all Palestinians suddenly disappear from the world. It, therefore, speculates how Israelis would react to the mysterious occurrence.
"Spare yet evocative, intensely intelligent in its interplay of perspectives," describe the Booker Prize judges on the website. "The Book of Disappearance – which was critically acclaimed in its original Arabic edition – is an unforgettable glimpse into contemporary Palestine as it grapples with both the memory of loss and the loss of memory."
After the release of the translated version, Azem spoke to The National about the inspiration behind her acclaimed fiction. Born in Jaffa, the author later moved to Germany due to educational pursuits and then set off for New York. She told the publication that the story's foundations are rooted in her personal experiences.
"For me, it all became too much – politically and socially. I had to leave. But when I started writing, I took that feeling of being invisible quite literally. I couldn't get this thought – of what would happen if Palestinians in Israel actually did disappear – out of my mind," she said.
"If you call it a fantasy, I guess that's a place where I could have a lot of freedom to talk about how things are, as well as how they could be. The opportunities were limitless," she added.
The novel is listed with twelve other entries, including books translated from ten original languages. The longlist hence comprises eleven novels and two collections of short stories. Among those listed are Under the Eye of the Big Bird, a Japanese novel set in a distant world where human extinction seems imminent, and Solenoid, which follows the mundane life of a diarist and is the competition's first Romanian entry.
A companion award to the flagship Booker Prize, which recognises entries penned in English, the International Booker Prize awards translated works. The shortlist for the 2025 competition will be announced in April. The final winner will be awarded £50,000 at a ceremony in London in May. The judging panel for this year is led by English writer Max Porter and includes publisher Sana Goyal and Nigerian author Caleb Femi.
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