Algerian author wins top Arab fiction prize for 'Spartan Court'

Algerian author Abdelouahab Aissaoui on Tuesday won a prestigious prize for Arabic fiction with his novel "The Spartan Court".

Backed by the UK's Booker Prize Foundation, the International Prize for Arabic Fiction (IPAF) is financed by Abu Dhabi's Department of Culture and Tourism.

Aissaoui will receive $50,000 and funds will be provided to translate the book into English, the organisers said on their website.

Published by Dar Mim, "The Spartan Court" is a historical novel that relates the power struggle between Ottoman and French colonial powers in Algeria at the start of the 19th century.

Born in the northern Algerian city of Djelfa in 1985, Aissaoui graduated in electromechanical engineering before devoting himself to writing, penning several books and receiving many awards.