Noor Naga

Canadian-Egyptian writer
Noor Naga
Born
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
EducationUniversity of Toronto (MA)
OccupationWriter
Known forIf an Egyptian Cannot Speak English

Noor Naga is a Canadian-Egyptian[1] writer, most noted for her 2022 novel If an Egyptian Cannot Speak English.[2]

Life

Naga was born in Philadelphia[3][4] and spent time living in Charleston, South Carolina, until at age seven,[5] she and her family moved to Dubai.[3][4] She received a Master of Arts in Creative Writing from the University of Toronto.[6] Naga presently lives in Cairo.[7]

Bibliography

  • Washes, Prays (2020)
  • If an Egyptian Cannot Speak English (2022)

Awards and honours

Naga received the Canada Graduate Scholarship-Master’s,[6] as well as the Mary Coyne Rowell Jackman Graduate Scholarship and Avie Bennett Emerging Writers Scholarship from the University of Toronto.[6]

CBC included Naga's Washes, Prays in their "Best Canadian Poetry of 2020" list.[8] If an Egyptian Cannot Speak English received positive media responses, as well. TIME included it on their list of "100 Must-Read Books of 2022,”[9] and BuzzFeed listed it as one of their "Best Books of 2022."[10] Kirkus Reviews also included it on their "Best Fictional Voices of 2022" list.[11]

Awards for Naga's writing
Year Title Award Result Ref
2015 Room's Fiction Contest Shortlist [6]
2017 "The Mistress and the Ping" RBC Bronwen Wallace Award for Emerging Writers Winner [1][6]
2019 DISQUIET Fiction Prize Winner [7][12]
American Girl and Boy from Shobrakheit Graywolf Press Africa Prize Winner [13]
RBC/PEN Canada New Voices Award Winner [14]
2021 Washes, Prays George Ellenbogen Poetry Award Honorable mention [15]
Pat Lowther Award Winner [16]
2022 If an Egyptian Cannot Speak English Center for Fiction First Novel Prize Winner [17][18][19]
Giller Prize Shortlist [3][20]
PEN/ Jean Stein Book Award Shortlist [21][22]

References

  1. ^ a b Robertson, Becky (2017-05-31). "Noor Naga wins 2017 RBC Bronwen Wallace Award for Emerging Writers - Quill and Quire". Quill and Quire. Archived from the original on 2022-12-05. Retrieved 2023-03-06.
  2. ^ Nadia Owusu, "Two Strangers Meet in a Cafe in Cairo. What Happens Next Is Complicated" Archived 2022-11-03 at the Wayback Machine. The New York Times, April 12, 2022.
  3. ^ a b c Dundas, Deborah (2022-09-27). "Rawi Hage, Suzette Mayr among five finalists for the 2022 Giller Prize worth $100,000". Toronto Star. Archived from the original on 2022-12-08. Retrieved 2023-03-06.
  4. ^ a b "Noor Naga on moral decisions, millennial Muslims and modern love". CBC Radio. 2020-07-31. Archived from the original on 2022-12-03. Retrieved 2023-03-05.
  5. ^ Naga, Noor (2021-10-25). "Who Writes the Arabian Gulf?". The Common. Archived from the original on 2022-12-01. Retrieved 2023-03-06.
  6. ^ a b c d e "Noor Naga". Writers' Trust of Canada. Archived from the original on 2022-10-04. Retrieved 2023-03-06.
  7. ^ a b "Noor Naga". Noor Naga. 2020-01-28. Archived from the original on 2022-12-04. Retrieved 2023-03-06.
  8. ^ "The best Canadian poetry of 2020". CBC Books. December 8, 2020. Archived from the original on 2023-02-26. Retrieved 2023-03-05.
  9. ^ "The 100 Must-Read Books of 2022". Time. Archived from the original on 2023-02-03. Retrieved 2023-03-06.
  10. ^ Kingsbury, Margaret; Penn, Farrah; Hunt, Will; Vogel, David; Beaton, Kirby; Malone, Emerson; Strolle, Rachel; Adler, Dahlia; Obaro, Tomi (December 5, 2022). "25 Books From 2022 You'll Love". BuzzFeed News. Archived from the original on 2023-03-03. Retrieved 2023-03-06.
  11. ^ "Best Fictional Voices of 2022". Kirkus Reviews. Archived from the original on 2022-12-03. Retrieved 2023-03-06.
  12. ^ "Stephanie Dinsae and more in The Common". Disquiet International. 2021-10-27. Archived from the original on 2022-12-10. Retrieved 2023-03-06.
  13. ^ "NOOR NAGA WINS THE GRAYWOLF PRESS AFRICA PRIZE". Graywolf Press. Archived from the original on 2021-05-18. Retrieved 2023-03-06.
  14. ^ "Fareh Malik wins 2022 RBC/PEN Canada New Voices Award". PEN Canada. 2022-06-29. Archived from the original on 2022-08-13. Retrieved 2023-03-06.
  15. ^ "2021 Arab American Book Award Winners". Arab American National Museum. Archived from the original on 2022-01-19. Retrieved 2022-03-06.
  16. ^ Smith, Charlie (2021-05-06). "Vancouver poet Jillian Christmas and UBC creative writing professor Ian Williams win national awards". The Georgia Straight. Archived from the original on 2022-11-03. Retrieved 2023-03-06.
  17. ^ Schaub, Michael (2022-12-08). "Noor Naga Wins First Novel Prize". Kirkus Reviews. Archived from the original on 2022-12-07. Retrieved 2022-12-08.
  18. ^ "Noor Naga Wins The Center for Fiction 2022 First Novel Prize for If an Egyptian Cannot Speak English". The Center for Fiction. Archived from the original on 2022-12-07. Retrieved 2022-12-08.
  19. ^ "Awards: Waterstones Book of the Year; Center for Fiction First Novel Winner". Shelf Awareness. December 7, 2022. Archived from the original on 2022-12-09. Retrieved 2022-12-09.
  20. ^ Schaub, Michael (2022-09-29). "Scotiabank Giller Prize Shortlist Is Revealed". Kirkus Reviews. Archived from the original on 2022-12-04. Retrieved 2023-03-06.
  21. ^ "Announcing the 2023 PEN America Literary Awards Finalists". PEN America. 2023-02-15. Archived from the original on 2023-02-20. Retrieved 2023-02-20.
  22. ^ Schaub, Michael (2023-02-16). "Finalists for PEN America Literary Awards Revealed". Kirkus Reviews. Archived from the original on 2023-03-06. Retrieved 2023-03-06.

External links

  • Official website
  • v
  • t
  • e
Recipients of the Pat Lowther Award