Abdelaziz Baraka Sakin, a Sudanese Novelist, Awarded French Knighthood

Moatinoon

The Ministry of Culture in France announced today (Friday) the awarding of the Grade de chevalier dans lordre des Arts et Lettres medal, the Order of Arts and Letters, to the Sudanese novelist Abdelaziz Baraka Sakin, conferring upon him the title of Knight in Arts and Letters for the year 2023. This distinction is one of the highest honors in the fields of culture, literature, and arts in France.

Baraka Sakin is considered one of the prominent Sudanese novelists whose works have gained widespread recognition and have been translated into several languages, including English, French, German, Spanish, and others. This achievement comes at a time when his works were banned in his homeland Sudan during the period of Islamic rule, a time during which his books were confiscated by authorities and publishers.

His novels address societal issues, oppression, freedoms, and lost aspirations within the context of governmental injustices and societal contradictions. Some of his notable novels include Al-Jangoo (The Genie), Masameer Al-Ard (The Nails of the Earth), Maseeh Darfur (The Messiah of Darfur), Thalathiyat Al-Bilad Al-Baeeda (The Trilogy of Distant Countries), and Samahani among others.

Among those who have received this medal are the Bolivian novelist Mario Vargas Llosa, the Lebanese singer Fairuz, the Moroccan director Taieb Saddiki, the Egyptian novelist Gamal Al-Ghitani, and the Yemeni novelist Ali Al-Muqri.

It is worth noting that the Order of Arts and Letters is a prestigious French honorary award presented by the Ministry of Culture as a recognition for individuals who have excelled through their contributions in the fields of arts, literature, and in promoting arts and literature in France and the world.

Abdelaziz Baraka Sakin is notably the first Sudanese writer to receive this prestigious French honor.