This year's One Book is Celestial Bodies by Jokha Alharthi. The novel is the first by an Omani woman to be translated into English and the first in Arabic to be awarded the Man Booker International Prize (which Alharthi shared with her translator, Marilyn Booth).
The virtual book reading and discussion of her novel on November 4 will be moderated by Northwestern Qatar Professor Khaled AL Hroub. In addition to the community-wide event, an event for students will take place on November 5 where Alharthi will discuss the process of writing and publishing a book.
The novel is a family saga that explores family relationships influenced by local traditions in an Omani household. The One Book program is a school-wide initiative designed to connect the community to literature that is relevant to the region.
