German rights A child of God (Rachida Lamrabet) sold

(Rachida Lamrabet as seen by photographer Koen Broos.)

The prestigious Luchterhand Literaturverlag (Random House) has acquired the German rights of the book A child of God (Een kind van God) by the award-winning Rachida Lamrabet.

In A child of God Rachida tells ordinary stories about extraordinary people. They cross each other on the bus, in an old people’s home or at a wedding. After briefly meeting they continue their own story. In this surprising book you can feel the heartbeat of countless stories that pass us by and of which we can only assume their existence. Courageously and passionately, Lamrabet wrote a chronicle of joy, atrocity and the unpredictable fate in the metropolis. She writes right from the shoulder. The amazement in these stories evokes an electrifying tension. The atmosphere invoked by Lamrabet, holds fathers who struggle with themselves and a mother who fights with all her heart and soul for her child. The next generation tries to draw a better life from insecurity, ambivalence and humour.

Last year, Luchterhand acquired the rights of Woman Country (Vrouwland), the debut by Rachida Lamrabet. The German translation Frauland will be published in January 2010.

In January, Rachida Lamrabet won the BNG Literature Award for A Child of God. The jury was of the opinion that: "with guts and passion, Lamrabet has written a chronicle of the joy, the horrors and the unpredictable destiny in the city. The astonishment in these stories creates an electrifying tension".

Rachida Lamrabet and Rodaan Al Galidi shortlisted for the BNG Nieuwe Literatuurprijs

(Cover of the Dutch version of Rodaan Al Galidi's second novel Thirsty river, nominated for the BNG Nieuwe Literatuurprijs.)

Rachida Lamrabet and Rodaan Al Galidi have been shortlisted for the BNG Nieuwe Literatuurprijs. This Dutch literature prize is awarded to authors under 40 who have written two or more works of prose.

Rachida Lamrabet is nominated for her second book, a collection of stories called A child of God. After publication Belgian magazine Knack immediately called this book 'a masterpiece'. Lamrabet's debut novel Vrouwland has already won this year's Flemish Debut prize and is in the running for the Dutch Academica debut prize. German rights for Vrouwland have been sold to Luchterhand Verlag.

Rodaan Al Galidi is nominated for his second novel, an amazing family epic called Thirsty river. The novel takes us to the heart of Iraq. The dreams, desires, traditions and experiences of a colourful Iraqi family are shaken up when Saddam comes to power. In Thirsty River Al Galidi follows the fate of this family untill after the death of the dictator. Thirsty River is literature at its best: giving voice to the unknown victims of history.

Coming from Iraq, writer, poet and columnist Rodaan Al Galidi has lived in the Netherlands since 1998. His much-praised poetry collection The fall of Zorro was shortlisted for the prestigious VSB poetry award. His new collection of poetry, The last slave, has been published this week.

The winner of the BNG Nieuwe Literatuurprijs is to be announced on January 15 in Amsterdam.