"Celestial Bodies" by Jokha Alharthi: A Deep Dive into the First Arabic Booker Prize Winner
"Celestial Bodies" (سيدات القمر) by Jokha Alharthi is a landmark novel that brought Omani literature into the global spotlight. This book made history as the first Arabic-language novel to win the prestigious International Booker Prize in 2019. Through its intricate narrative, Celestial Bodies tells the compelling story of three generations of an Omani family navigating the shifting sands of tradition and modernity. In this article, we explore the themes, style, and significance of this novel, while providing an insightful look into Jokha Alharthi's life and work. Who is Jokha Alharthi? Jokha Alharthi is a celebrated Omani author and academic whose literary works have played a significant role in representing Omani culture and history on the international stage. Born in Oman in 1978, Alharthi pursued her studies in classical Arabic literature and later completed her Ph.D. at the University of Edinburgh. Her background as a scholar of Arabic literature has heavily infl...