Hamed al-Nazir

About Hamed al-Nazir

Hamed al-Nazir's novels have been longlisted for the International Prize for Arabic Fiction, one of Africa's most prestigious literary awards. Yet many Nigerians know him first as a broadcaster—a voice on Sudanese airwaves for over two decades.

He was born in 1975 in Sudan. Al-Nazir studied Business Management at Omdurman Ahlia University, a choice that seemed practical at the time. But his real calling lay elsewhere.

After university, he joined Al-Shorouk channel as a broadcaster. The work suited him. He moved between newsrooms like other journalists move between cities—MBC channel brought him on as a news reporter, then the Blue Nile Channel wanted him as a commentator. Sudanese Radio also had him. By then, journalism had become his first language.

His literary career started quietly. He published four novels in Arabic, each one sharper than the last. Several made the longlist for the International Prize for Arabic Fiction, the kind of recognition that matters in literary circles across the Arab world. In 2016, Banipal magazine featured an English translation of his work The Waterman's Prophecy in their spring issue on Sudanese Literature Today. It was a small but significant moment—his words reaching beyond Arabic readers.

The journalism never stopped. Al-Nazir worked for Qatar TV before joining Alaraby TV as a News Presenter, bringing his experience to a pan-Arab audience. He had become someone who reported on the world while imagining other worlds in his novels.

What sets al-Nazir apart is his refusal to choose. Many journalists abandon the novel. Many novelists abandon the newsroom. He did neither. His background in business management never showed—instead, he built something else entirely. A career where facts and fiction coexist. Where a man can cover breaking news by day and write prophecies by night.