The Arab American Book Award was established in 2006 to celebrate and support the research of, and the written work of, Arab Americans and their culture. The Arab American Book Award encourages the publication and excellence of books that preserve and advance the understanding, knowledge, and resources of the Arab American community by celebrating the thoughts and lives of Arab Americans. The purpose of the Award is to inspire authors, educate readers and foster a respect and understanding of the Arab American culture^[1].

The Arab American Book Award was brought about by the Arab American National Museum and faculty members of the nearby University of Toledo. The winning titles are chosen by groups of selected readers including respected authors, university professors, artists and AANM staff. The Awards are given during an invitation only dinner at the Arab American National Museum in Dearborn, Michigan. The AANM first gave these awards in 2007 for books published in 2006; for 2007, the number of submissions more than doubled from the inaugural year.^[2]

To help ensure the continuity of the Arab American Book Award a special endowment fund has been launched with a $10,000 gift from Drs. A. Adnan and Barbara C. Aswad. Dr. Barbara C. Aswad is Professor Emerita of Anthropology at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan and a past president of the Middle Eastern Studies Association and a Board Member Emerita for the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS), parent organization of the Arab American National Museum. Dr. A. Adnan Aswad is Professor Emeritus of Engineering at the University of Michigan–Dearborn. The Aswads, now based in Los Angeles, were inspired to make the gift after the inaugural Book Award ceremony in Fall 2007. ^[2]

Contents 1 2009 Name change for the Arab American Book Award 2 Submission Guidelines for the Arab American Book Award 3 Past Winners of the Arab American Book Award 4 References 5 External links

[edit] 2009 Name change for the Arab American Book Award

In 2009, The Arab American Book Award Committee changed the name of the '2008 Arab American Book Award' to the '2009 Arab American Book Award' in order to reflect the true award date instead of the publication date of the winning books. All dates in the previous Award years were also changed retroactively. While the date within the Award name has changed, the rules regarding the publication dates for eligible submissions have not.

[edit] Submission Guidelines for the Arab American Book Award

As of 2009, the eligibility criteria for the Arab American Book Award are as follows^[3]:

1. The book must be written, edited or illustrated by an Arab American, or address the Arab American experience. See below for a list of the 22 Arab countries^[4].

2. The book must be an original work and published in English between January 1 and December 31 of the last full calendar year. The Award is given the year after the eligible books are published.

3. The portrayal or representation of Arab Americans should be accurate and engaging; avoid stereotypes, and reflect rich characterization.

4. Submissions must be postmarked by noted deadline. (2010 Submission Deadline: February 1, 2010)^[5]

The submission form for the Arab American Book Award can be found here: [2].

[edit] Past Winners of the Arab American Book Award

Adult Fiction

Year	Winner	Honorable mentions
2007	In the Country of Men by Hisham Matar	n/a
2008	Remember Me to Lebanon by Evelyn Shakir	Origin by Diana Abu-Jaber
2009	A Map of Home: A Novel by Randa Jarrar	n/a

Adult Non-Fiction

Year	Winner	Honorable mentions
2007	The Iron Cage by Rashid Khalidi	The Arab Americans by Randa Kayyali “Evil” Arabs in American Popular Film by Tim Jon Semmerling
2008	Another Arabesque by John Tofik Karam	Kisses from a Distance by Raff Ellis Annals of the Caliphs’ Kitchens by Nawal Nasrallah
2009	How Does It Feel to Be a Problem?: Being Young and Arab in America by Moustafa Bayoumi	"The Encyclopedia of Arab American Artists" by Fayeq Oweis "Palestine Inside Out: An Everyday Occupation" by Saree Makdisi

Children's/ Young Adult

Year	Winner	Honorable mentions
2007	One Green Apple by Eve Bunting and Ted Lewin, illustrator	n/a
2008	Tasting the Sky: A Palestinian Childhood by Ibtisam Barakat	n/a
2009	Honeybee: Poems & Short Prose by Naomi Shihab Nye

Poetry (New in 2008)

Year	Winner	Honorable mentions
2007	n/a	n/a
2008	n/a	n/a
2009	breaking poems by Suheir Hammad	n/a

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Arab American Book Award, Official Site
• Arab American National Museum Website
• ACCESS (Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services)