Haruki Murakami, the internationally acclaimed Japanese author, has been named the Cultural Personality of the Year for the 2025 Sheikh Zayed Book Award. The honor will be presented during a ceremony at the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, taking place from April 26 to May 5.
Murakami, renowned for his bestselling novels such as Norwegian Wood and Kafka on the Shore, was recognized by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre, which administers the award, for his immense global literary influence. The centre highlighted Murakami’s works’ widespread translation into major languages, including Arabic, and his vital role as a cultural bridge between East and West.
“Murakami is one of the most prominent and popular contemporary novelists, with millions of copies of his novels printed every year and translated into numerous languages, including Arabic,” the statement from the centre read. “His literature is characterised by its universality, expressing human concerns that transcend cultural boundaries, with a unique blend of Japanese literature and international influences. His writings are renowned for their ability to explore issues of identity, belonging and individual freedom in a distinctive narrative style that combines realism and fantasy.”
Murakami joins a prestigious list of previous recipients of the Cultural Personality of the Year award, which includes Palestinian poet Salma Khadra Jayyusi and Moroccan philosopher Abdallah Laroui. As part of the award, Murakami will receive a gold medal, a Dh1 million cash prize, and a certificate of appreciation.
In addition to Murakami, this year’s Sheikh Zayed Book Award winners span both literary and academic fields. Lebanese–French author Hoda Barakat has won the literature category for her novel Hind or the Most Beautiful Woman in the World. Moroccan writer Latifa Labsir will receive the children’s literature prize for The Phantom of Dabiha, while Italy’s Marco Di Branco has won the translation category for his work on Orsious by Paulus Orosius, translating it from Arabic to Italian.
Other notable honorees at the ceremony include Emirati academic Mohammed Bechari, whose book The Right to Strive: Perspectives on Muslim Women’s Rights won the Contribution to the Development of Nations category, and UK researcher Andrew Peacock, who will be recognized in the Arab culture in other languages category for his book Arabic Literary Culture in Southeast Asia in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries.
All winners, except for the Cultural Personality of the Year, will receive a Dh750,000 cash prize, along with a gold medal and a certificate of appreciation.
Ali bin Tamim, chairman of the Arabic Language Centre and secretary general of the Sheikh Zayed Book Award, congratulated the winners, saying, “I congratulate the winners of the 19th edition of the Sheikh Zayed Book Award for their outstanding achievements, which have contributed to the enrichment of the Arab and international cultural scene.”
He added, “Their works were inspiring, tackling new and distinguished topics that delve deep into the human condition and shed light on time and history, which made them stand out to the Award organisers and earn their admiration. This year’s edition recorded unprecedented competition, reflecting the pioneering and prestigious status of the award, which, over the past year, was able to attract distinguished literary and scientific works that have made valuable contributions to the Arab, regional, and global libraries.”
