Bachtyar Ali

Frequently asked questions

• What is Bachtyar Ali known for?

  Bachtyar Ali is widely recognized as one of the most prominent contemporary Kurdish novelists and poets. He is particularly noted for his intricate narratives that often blend political commentary with elements of magical realism and philosophical depth.

• Which of Bachtyar Ali's books should I read first?

  A good starting point for new readers is "The Last Pomegranate Tree," as it was his first novel translated into English and received significant international acclaim, offering a representative introduction to his unique style and themes.

• What literary prizes has Bachtyar Ali won?

  He won the Nelly Sachs Prize, awarded by the city of Dortmund, in 2017 — the first time the prize went to an author writing in a non-European language. In 2023 he won the Hilde Domin Prize for Literature in Exile, awarded by the city of Heidelberg. Both are given for a body of work rather than for a single book.

• What language does Bachtyar Ali write in?

  He writes in Sorani, the south-eastern variant of Kurdish, and has continued to write in it since moving to Germany in the mid-1990s. His novels have been translated into Arabic, Persian, Kurmanji Kurdish, German, Italian, French and English, so readers outside Kurdistan almost always meet his work in translation.