Dutch media has reported that Forough Karimi, a Dutch author of Afghan descent, has won the “Dutch Booksellers’ Prize” for the year 2026.
The organizers of this award announced that Karimi’s novel “I Carry Clouds in My Eyes” was selected as the year’s outstanding work by a panel composed of booksellers.
The jury described this novel as a “urgent, heartbreaking work with a well-considered structure,” stating that Forough Karimi gives voice to refugees and is a capable storyteller.
It is worth noting that “I Carry Clouds in My Eyes” is Karimi’s third fictional work.
The report indicates that the story revolves around a psychiatrist named Vida, who fled Kabul at the age of 15 and has built a new life in the Netherlands.
According to available information, the Dutch Booksellers’ Prize is awarded annually to an original Dutch-language book that booksellers believe deserves a wider audience.
This prize includes not only a promotional campaign and a special edition but also, for the first time this year, a cash award of five thousand euros.
It should be noted that Forough Karimi was born in Kabul in 1971.
She left Afghanistan in 1996 at the age of 25 due to the war and sought refuge in the Netherlands.
While Forough Karimi is being recognized with the Dutch Booksellers’ Prize in 2026, the current government has deprived women and girls of education and learning opportunities since taking control of Afghanistan. Recently, they imposed further restrictions by closing medical institutions to girls and women, despite a nationwide shortage of healthcare personnel.
This government’s actions have resulted in millions of schoolgirls being denied education and learning opportunities.
Additionally, women have been banned from going to sports clubs, restaurants, public baths, being examined by male doctors, traveling without a male guardian, and working in domestic and international NGOs, as well as even in UN offices in Afghanistan.
