TEHRAN – Five novels are competing in the 10th Jalal Al-e Ahmad Literary Awards, the organizers announced on Thursday.

Among the nominees for the award is “Alphabet of the Dead” by Hadi KHorshahian, which was published in late November in Tehran.

The book tells the story of several different characters who have experienced failure in their personal lives. However, they are trying to find a way to success.

“This Street Has No Rumble Strip” by Maryam Jahani is also competing in this category. The story is about Shohreh, a woman who finds her thoughts in clash with traditions in the outwardly-modern Iranian society. 

Another nominee is “Booklessness”, a historical novel by Mohammadreza Sharafi-Khabushan, which acknowledges the place of books in the modern Iranian history.

“Rabbit Hill” by Ali-Akbar Heidari has also been nominated for the award. It is a socio-political novel that narrates the story of an Iranian family from 1979, when the Islamic Revolution overthrew the Shah’s regime, until the early 2000s.

“The Period of the Time” by Mehdi Kaffash, about Foad Fariman, a seminary student, has also received a nomination in this section. The story begins at a jail where Foad is imprisoned, but he doesn’t know for what.      
  
The winners of the Jalal Al-e Ahmad Literary Awards, Iran’s most lucrative literary prize, will be announced during a ceremony at Tehran’s Vahdat Hall on January ۶.

Photo: Front covers of five novels competing in the 10th Jalal Al-e Ahmad Literary Awards

MMS/YAW