International Prize for Arabic Fiction winner Mohamed Samir Nada released his latest novel, Dreams of Dolls, across the United Arab Emirates this week, exploring a fantastical world where human dreams abruptly cease.
- Mohamed Samir Nada’s new novel Dreams of Dolls investigates the collapse of cities when human beings lose the ability to dream.
- The author maintains that the prestigious Booker prize did not impose creative pressure on his subsequent writing schedule.
- Two additional completed novels currently sit with the publisher awaiting release dates.
The narrative centres on a hypothetical collapse of urban life triggered by the sudden absence of dreams. Youm7.com reported that the text anthropomorphizes modern Cairo to establish an anthropological connection between inhabitants and their physical environment.
The work employs fantasy elements while maintaining distance from the author’s previous release, Prayer of Anxiety. That earlier text investigated the collective confiscation of the human mind, whereas the new volume concentrates on the loss of desire to dream through a character who intervenes in nocturnal visions.
The underlying message champions the fundamental human entitlement to dream regardless of socioeconomic standing, political environment, or daily living conditions. The author argued that nocturnal visions symbolize broader life aspirations essential for preventing societal breakdown.
“Every human has the right to dream, whether he is a homeless person on the street or holding the position of Prime Minister,” Mohamed Samir Nada told Youm7.com.
| Novel Title | Primary Theme | Release Context |
|---|---|---|
| Prayer of Anxiety | Isolation of the collective mind | Completed 2020, published 2024 |
| Dreams of Dolls | Loss of nocturnal dreams and urban collapse | Released this week in the UAE |
Securing the International Prize for Arabic Fiction created no creative obstruction or intimidation regarding future literary outputs. The writer explained that manuscripts finalized after the distinction were already underway years prior, citing similar progression in the career of Kuwaiti writer Saud Al-Sanousi.
“I did not feel the curse of awards after winning the Booker,” Nada told Youm7.com regarding his post-prize workflow.
Two further completed novels remain with the publishing house following an editorial decision to prioritize the current release and prevent market oversaturation. The texts originated from concepts developed five or six years ago.
Timing for the subsequent publication remains undetermined, with the release anticipated no earlier than next summer. The author said that scheduling avoids traditional book fair seasons, maintaining that literature operates independently from cinematic release windows.
“Literature is not like cinema and is not linked to holiday seasons,” Nada told Youm7.com.
