Riwaq Prize for Research and Culture

An initiative to promote research excellence (Arabic, Islamic, and Middle Eastern Studies) in Arabic, English, and German

About the Prize

The Riwaq Prize for Research and Culture is a joint initiative of the Divan – The Arab Cultural House (Berlin) and the Orient-Institut Beirut (OIB). It honours outstanding monographs that contribute to the further development of their discipline through innovative research approaches and critical perspectives. Works in the humanities and social sciences with a focus on Arabic cultures and societies are eligible for nomination. The prize is awarded every two years and alternates between the humanities and social sciences.

The prize is awarded in three language categories (Arabic, English, German); each of the three categories is endowed with €1,000. The winner in each category is selected by a jury consisting of three renowned scholars.

Focus 2026: Humanities

The first call for entries in 2026 will focus on the humanities. Monographs in the fields of philosophy, history and cultural studies, art and architecture, literature, linguistics, and translation studies published in their original language between January 1, 2022, and January 31, 2026, are eligible for nomination.

The deadline for nominations by publishers or established scholars is January 31, 2026.

Call for Entries 2026 (PDF)
You can upload your nomination here

Riwaq Juries 2026

Jury for Arabic Monographs

Abdulrahman Alebrahim
Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, Katar

Amal Mohammed Al Malki
Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Katar

Rachid Boutayeb
Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, Katar

Jury for English Monographs

Stephan Guth
Universität Oslo, Norwegen

Gudrun Krämer
em., Freie Universität Berlin, Deutschland

Birgit Krawitz
Freie Universität Berlin, Deutschland

Jury for German Monographs

Marilyn Booth
em. University of Oxford, Großbritannien

Islam Dayeh
Ghent University, Belgien

Fred Donner
em., University of Chicago, USA

Award Ceremony

The award ceremony will take place during the Divan’s Arabic Book Fair in Berlin (October 2 – 4, 2026).

Steering Committee

Lorans Al Hennawi, Der Divan – Das Arabische Kulturhaus

Leyla Dakhli, CNRS, Centre for Contemporary Social History

Jens-Peter Hanssen, Orient-Institut Beirut

Abdul-Hakim Shubat, Der Divan – Das Arabische Kulturhaus

Barbara Winckler, Universität Münster/Orient-Institut Beirut

FAQ

Nominations are open to monographs in the fields of philosophy, history and cultural studies, art and architecture, as well as literature, linguistics, and translation studies, with a focus on Arabic cultures and societies, which were published in their original language between January 1, 2022, and January 31, 2026. Anthologies, critical editions, translations, new editions, or textbooks are excluded from consideration.

The prize is awarded in three language categories (monographs in Arabic, English, and German). Each category is endowed with €1,000.

The deadline for nominating monographs is January 31, 2026.

Established scholars may nominate one monograph per call for entries, while publishers may nominate up to two titles. Authors may not submit their own applications.

Eligible for nomination as established scholars are university professors who hold tenure-track positions or equivalent or are tenured.

Publishing houses may ask established scholars to write an appraisal of monographs by other authors (max. three).

The publishing houses of the nominated monographs are requested to send two printed copies of the monograph to the Divan in Berlin. In addition, a digital version of the monograph must be submitted via the Riwaq website, together with the nomination form containing information about the author and the work, a short biography (max. 200 words), and an academic appraisal of the work (max. 1,000 words).

Please use the following format for the file name of the digital version of the monograph: Riwaq2026_[author name]_[language: AR/DE/EN]_book. Example: Riwaq2026_Hanssen_EN_book

Please use the following format for the file name of the nomination form: Riwaq2026_[author name]_[language: AR/DE/EN]_info. Example: Riwaq2026_Hanssen_EN_info

The three winners will be informed before the official announcement, which is expected to take place in summer 2026.

The award ceremony will take place during the Divan’s Arab Book Fair in Berlin (October 2 – 4, 2026).

Jury for Arabic monographs: Abdulrahman Alebrahim (Doha Institute for Graduate Studies), Amal Mohammed Al Malki (Hamad Bin Khalifa University), and Rachid Boutayeb (Doha Institute for Graduate Studies)

Jury for English monographs: Marilyn Booth (emeritus, University of Oxford), Islam Dayeh (Ghent University), and Fred Donner (emeritus, University of Chicago)

Jury for German monographs: Stephan Guth (University of Oslo), Gudrun Krämer (emerita, Freie Universität Berlin), and Birgit Krawitz (Freie Universität Berlin)

The next call for entries (social sciences) will be published at the end of 2027. The nomination deadline is expected to be in January 2028.

The organizers guarantee that both printed and digital texts will be used exclusively for the selection process and made available to the jury members within this context. The data collected will be deleted after the end of the process.

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