Abdelaziz Baraka Sakin

Abdelaziz Baraka Sakin was born in 1963 in Kassala, an eastern-Sudanese Town on the border with Eritrea. He studies Business Administration at the Assiut University in Egypt. Back in Sudan, Sakin first became an English teacher at his old high school, before working for several humanitarian organisations between 2000 and 2009 in the region of Darfur. His novel “The Messias of Darfur” is based on his experiences during that time. In 2000, he began his literary career with several smaller publications. His winning the Tayeb Salih Prize in Sudan granted him the attention of a larger audience. Then, his books were confiscated and banned in Sudan and he consequently seeked Asylum in Austria. He has been living in Saalfelden since 2012, and has recently also been residing in Montpellier, France. Baraka Sakin is currently a city scribe of Graz. The jury reasoning for appointing him was as follows: “Abdelaziz Baraka Sakin is one of the most relevant voices of Arab literatures in the European diaspora. He began his literary career as an author of prose in Sudan, where his books were soon banned by the islamist regime in power. In exile, his work has been internationally acclaimed and awarded several prizes (mostly in France). His books have been translated into ten languages. “