Kuwaiti author Mai Al Nakib has won the Edinburgh International Book Festival's 2014 First Book Award for her book, "The Hidden Light of Objects".
The book is a collection of short stories that focus on the private struggles of adolescence, marriage and middle age by taking a quiet look at the lives of ordinary people in the Middle East region, Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation Publishing (BQFP), the publisher, said in a statement.
"I am incredibly grateful for this award. It was an honor to be included among the 46 writers nominated for the Edinburgh International Book Festival's First Book Award," Al Nakib said after winning the award.
"This was my first time to participate at the Book Festival, and I thank the organisers for their support. To select my book by readers is encouraging. It means readers across the globe are reacting with the book," she added, according to the BQFP.
"Perhaps this suggests that many are eager to discover other versions of the Middle East than those commonly depicted in the media," she pointed out.
Arend Kuster, BQFP's CEO said: "We are very proud that our author Mai Al-Nakib has been honored by this award." "The award reflects a general interest in hearing new voices from the Gulf and the Arab peninsula," he added.
He noted that BQFP will seek to bring more of these exciting voices to readers, locally and internationally.