Jokha Alharthi wins for Celestial Bodies

Omani author becomes first Arabic-language writer to scoop accolade alongside translator

An author from Oman has become the first Arabic-language writer to win the Man Booker International Prize with Celestial Bodies.

Jokha Alharthi’s winning novel tells the story of three sisters and a desert country confronting its slave-owning past and a complex modern world.

The author plans to split the £50,000 prize money with her translator, US academic professor Marilyn Booth.