TEHRAN – Three novels have been shortlisted for the 13th edition of the Jalal Al-e Ahmad Literary Awards, Iran’s most lucrative literary honor.

The nominees are “Mid-Day Incantations” by Mansur Alimoradi, “Hard Labor” by Mohammad Hanif and “The Imaginative” by Ahmad Hassanzadeh.

“Mid-Day Incantations” published by Nimaj tells two interrelated stories about the central character of the book in a magical journey to Iran’s Lut Desert and a romantic life with a stage artist in Tehran.

Published by Neyestan, “Hard Labor” is about a man who takes the readers through the maze of the novel by recounting stories about his life, other people and numerous situations.

“The Imaginative” is Elyas, an unusual little boy who lives with his bizarre family in a strange town. The physical and non-physical defects in Elyas and other central characters of the story symbolize the large number of blows from which the small town suffers.   

The finalists have been selected by a jury composed of Javad Afhami, Saeid Tashakkori and Ali Changizi.

The organizers have earlier announced the nominees in the categories of documentation and review.

“From Rey to Damascus”, “Ten-Eighty”, “Absolute Value of a Conspiracy”, “My Poor Beloved Country” and “Gem of Patience” are among the nominations in the documentation category.

The nominees for the review section are “Mythology of Love in Iranian Culture”, “Epic of Musayyebnameh”, “History of the Body in Literature”, “Narratology of Drama” and “Philosophy of the Story of Story”.

Photo: This photo shows the books shortlisted in the novel category of the 13th Jalal Al-e Ahmad Literary Awards and the jury members for this section.

MMS/YAW