‘A History of Arab Graphic Design’, a recently published book by the American University in Cairo (AUC) Press, has won the Art History and Criticism category in the 2021 Prose Awards organised by the Association of American Publishers on 7 February.

The book is written by Professor of practice and Founder of the graphic design programme at AUC Bahia Shehab, and Head of the Department of the Arts at AUC Haytham Nawar.

The authors look at how cinema, economic prosperity, political, and cultural events gave birth to and shaped the founders of Arab graphic design.

Designs by Sayed Ibrahim Ali, one of the greatest contemporary calligraphers of the Arab world credit of AUC Media Relations

A panel of 23 judges selected the book, and another 44 winning books, from a total of 130 finalists from an overall pool of 595 entries for this year's Prose Awards competition.

A History of Arab Graphic Design charts the development of design in the region, beginning with Islamic art and Arabic calligraphy and their impact on Arab visual culture, to the digital revolution and the arrival of the internet.

With over 600 colour images, the book examines the work of about 80 key designers from Morocco to Iraq and covers the period from the pre-1900s to the end of the twentieth century.

The book also includes a vast range of graphic design uses, including books, magazines and newspapers, posters, advertisements, stamps, and signage, which influenced and inspired Arab designers.