Back to Winners
Cultural Personality of the Year 2025
Haruki Murakami
Japan
Haruki Murakami is a world-renowned Japanese author whose works have been translated into numerous languages and have a vast worldwide readership. He was born in Kyoto in 1949 and studied drama in Tokyo. His writing is influenced by both Japanese and Western literature, with evident inspiration from international authors like Franz Kafka and F. Scott Fitzgerald. Murakami is celebrated for his distinctive narrative style, blending magical realism with universal elements, making him a truly global author. His notable works include ‘Norwegian Wood’, ‘Kafka on the Shore’, and ‘Scheherazade’. ”.
About the Book
The 19th edition of the Sheikh Zayed Book Award honoured renowned Japanese author Haruki Murakami as the Cultural Personality of the Year, in recognition of his creative career and widespread literary influence, unbound by borders, impacting both Arab and Western cultures. His works are widely read and translated around the world, reflecting literature’s ability to bring differing cultures closer together.Cultural Personality of the Year
View All Winners2018
Arab World Institute
France
2016
Amin Maalouf
Lebanon
2007
Denys Johnson- Davies (1922-2017)
Canada
2017
Dr. Abdellah Laroui
Morocco
2013
Dr. Sheikh Ahmad Muhammad Al Tayyeb
Egypt
2008
H. E. Mohammed Bin Eissa
Morocco
2010
His Highness Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Mohamed Al-Qasimi
United Arab Emirates
2015
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashed Al Maktoum
United Arab Emirates
2014
King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud (1924-2015)
2009
Professor Pedro Martinez Montavez
Spain
2012
United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization – UNESCO
France
2011
Prof. Xhong Jikun (1938-2020)
China
2019
Professors Jaroslav & Suzanne Stetkevych
2020
Salma Khadra Jayyusi
Jordan
2022
Dr. Abdullah Al-Ghathami
2023
Omar Ali Mahmoud Khairat
Egypt
2024
Casa Árabe
Spain