Ziedan wins festival award

The winner of the 2012 Edinburgh International Book Festival’s Anobii First Book Award has been announced.

Dr Youssef Ziedan’s debut novel, Azazeel, was chosen for by readers and the Book Festival audience. Dr Ziedan is one of Egypt’s most highly-respected scholars in Arabic and Islamic studies.

Nick Barley, director of the Edinburgh International Book Festival, said: “I am particularly pleased that an international author has won this year.”