Afghan-Born Dutch Author Forough Karimi Wins Dutch Booksellers Award for 2026

Forough Karimi, an Afghan-born Dutch author, has won the Dutch Booksellers Award for 2026.

Organizers announced on Thursday evening, February 19, 2026, that Karimi's novel "I Carry Clouds in My Eyes" was selected as the book of the year by a panel of booksellers. The jury described the work as "urgent, heartbreaking and with a measured structure," noting that Karimi gives voice to refugees and serves as a capable narrator.

The novel is Karimi's third work of fiction. It follows Behnaz Vida, a psychiatrist who fled Kabul for the Netherlands at age 15 and built a new life there.

The Dutch Booksellers Award is presented annually to an original Dutch-language book deemed worthy of a wider audience by booksellers. This year, it includes a promotional campaign, a special edition and, for the first time, 5,000 euros in cash.

Karimi was born in Kabul in 1971. She left Afghanistan in 1996 at age 25 due to the war and sought refuge in the Netherlands.