Raja Alem
Raja Alem is a Saudi novelist who won the International Prize for Arabic Fiction in 2011 for her novel The Dove's Necklace.
Overview
Raja Alem (born 1970) is a Saudi novelist. In 2011 she became the first woman to win the International Prize for Arabic Fiction (the "Arabic Booker") for her novel "The Dove's Necklace".
Works
Her novels, including "The Dove's Necklace", "The Sitter" and "Khatam", are set largely in Makkah and explore the city's social fabric, its history and the lives of its residents beyond the pilgrimage.
Recognition
Alem is one of the most prominent contemporary Saudi women writers and has been translated into several languages. Her work is noted for its dense, polyphonic style and its engagement with the sacred and the everyday.