The novel "The Village of One Hundred" by author Rehab Louay has won the Kheiry Shelbi Award for Best First Novel, which is awarded annually in conjunction with the anniversary of the passing of Egyptian novelist Kheiry Shelbi, who died on September 9, 2011, at the age of 73. The judging committee for the fourth edition noted that it "selected this novel from among five novels that made it to the shortlist, and Dar Al-Shorouk will publish it."
The committee stated in its rationale that "the text is engaging and capable of delving into the worlds of the countryside from an attractive angle that weaves the symbolic with the metaphysical alongside established collective heritages; it is a well-crafted text, written with high professionalism."
The committee consisted of poet Ahmed Al-Shahawy, critic Sherin Abu Naga, and translator Mohamed Abdel Nabi.
The award was launched for the first time in 2020, aimed at young writers in the world of the novel who have not previously had the opportunity to publish, whether in print or digitally. Kheiry Shelbi is known for his prolific writing about the countryside and the simple life, and some of his works have been adapted into television series, including "The Peg" and "Atiya Agency." He also received the First-Class Medal of Arts and Sciences and the State Appreciation Award in Literature.
