Afghan-Dutch author Farogh Karimi wins Dutch Booksellers Award
“I Carry Clouds in My Eyes” honored as standout Dutch-language novel, highlighting refugee voices in European literature
AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands (MNTV) — Afghan-born Dutch writer Farogh Karimi has won the 2026 Dutch Booksellers Award for her novel I Carry Clouds in My Eyes.
Organizers announced Thursday that the novel was selected by a jury of booksellers as this year’s most outstanding Dutch-language work.
The jury described the book as “urgent, heartbreaking and carefully structured,” praising Karimi for amplifying refugee voices through a powerful and compelling narrative.
The novel, her third work of fiction, follows Vida, a psychiatrist who fled Kabul at age 15 and rebuilt her life in the Netherlands.
The Dutch Booksellers Award is presented annually to an original Dutch-language book that booksellers believe deserves a wider national readership.
For the first time, the prize includes €5,000 in cash, along with a nationwide promotional campaign and a special edition release.
Born in Kabul in 1971, Karimi left Afghanistan in 1996 due to war and later sought refuge in the Netherlands.
Her latest recognition underscores the growing prominence of Afghan diaspora voices in European literature and the enduring resonance of refugee stories.
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