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The Orient Institute Beirut (OIB) and Der Divan – The Arab Cultural House jointly established a new academic book award, the Riwaq Prize for Research and Culture, which will be awarded in three language categories (Arabic, German, English).

The Riwaq Prize honors monographs in the fields of Arabic studies, Islamic studies, and related Middle Eastern studies with a thematic focus on Arab cultures and societies that contribute to the advancement of their discipline through original research. The call for entries will be announced every two years, alternating between the humanities and social sciences. A prize is awarded to one monograph in each of the three language categories (Arabic, German, English); each category is endowed with €1,000.

In 2026, the focus will be on the humanities. Nominations are open to monographs in the fields of philosophy, history and cultural studies, art and architecture, literature, linguistics, and translation studies published in their original language between January 1, 2022, and January 31, 2026. The award ceremony will take place during the Divan's Arab Book Fair in Berlin (October 2–4, 2026).

In addition to the monograph, basic information about the author and work, and a short academic appraisal of the work (max. 1,000 words) must be submitted as part of the nomination. The deadline for nominations is January 31, 2026. 

For further information, please refer to the call for nominations or the Riwaq Prize website: www.riwaqbookprize.com/en.