Melanie Magidow South Kingstown, RI (USA) p: 646-709-4312 e: [email protected] w: melaniemagidow.com

Melanie Magidow (PhD Arabic Studies, UT Austin 2013) is an Arabic to English translator, both commercial and literary.

Specializations: Academic, education, literature, culture, society, arts, development, gender

Other Services: Editing/proofreading (English), Teaching / tutoring (Arabic, online and on-site), Consulting in Arabic language, literature and culture.

Education

2013 PhD, Middle Eastern Languages & Cultures, The University of Texas at Austin 2007 M.A. Near East Studies, New York University 2005 Diploma, Center for Arabic Studies Abroad (CASA), American University in Cairo. Intensive advanced Modern Standard and Egyptian Arabic, 2004 - 2005 2004 B.A. with Highest Honors, Middle East Studies, Minor in Arabic, Emory University

Selected Professional Experience

Current Business Marhaba Language Expertise Nov. 2017-Present Founder • Overseeing all day-to-day operations, strategy, project management • Translation (Arabic to English), since 2009 • Editing (English), since 2014 • Teaching & Consulting in Arabic Language & Literature, since 2006

Teaching Arabic Feb. - May 2015 Advanced Arabic and Culture Instructor, U. of Maryland • Weekly meetings (online): small group (2 students) and large group (5 students), conservation practice and drills, homework review • 3-Day Intensive Seminar (on-site) language and culture orientation prior to students' travel to for Arabic immersion study Aug. - Dec. 2013 Arabic Language Instructor, The University of Rhode Island • Teaching 1st Year Arabic class • Teaching Advanced Independent Study (weekly) Jun. - Aug. 2012 Arabic Language Instructor, Middlebury College • Teaching summer intensive 2nd Year Arabic class

1 May - Jul. 2008 Arabic Teacher, The University of Texas at Austin • Teaching summer intensive 1st Year Arabic class Jan. - May 2007 Arabic Language Instructor, Hunter College • Teaching 1st Year Arabic Class Jun. - Aug. 2006 Arabic Language Instructor, CUNY Graduate Center • Teaching summer intensive 1st Year Arabic class

Subject Matter Specialist Experience

Jan. 2013 - Present Co-Moderator of Readers’ Group, Goodreads.com • Middle East & North Africa (MENA) Literature Group • Leading and moderating group discussions • Planning group reads for 1,000+ members worldwide Sep. 2006 - May 2007, Sep. 2012 - Jun. 2013 Arabic Bibliographer, Modern Language Assoc. (NY) • Documenting publications related to Nov. 2011 Concert Tour Organizer and Consecutive Interpreter • Arranging travel, accommodation for self and singer of Moroccan Malhun music/poetry. Providing 24/7 consecutive interpretation for singer (Moroccan Arabic <> English-US) • Performing with singer, introducting Moroccan Malhun music/poetry and providing live consecutive interpretation. Performances at The University of Texas at Austin and The University of Washington

Aug. 2008-May 2011 Arabic Literature & History Graduate Student Instructor The University of Texas at Austin (Austin, TX) • All-Arabic instruction in: Modern Arab Intellectual History, Arabian Nights / One Thousand and One Nights, and Modern Arabic Literature May-Aug. 2002, May-Jun. 2003 Arabic Arabic Newspaper Collator, Library of Congress (D.C.) • Preparing newspapers from throughout the Arab world for preservation, taking notes and translating some headlines

Aug. 2004 - Jun. -2005 Project Coordinator, Culture Program, UNESCO (Cairo) • Helped an Egyptian non-profit successfully write grant proposals that resulted in a contract for $50,000. • Attending meetings, producing documents, enabling communication between speakers of French and Arabic.

Experience in Arab World

2000-11 Semi-annual visits to Morocco, for language study and research, duration ranging from ten days to eight months 2004-05 One year living in Cairo, studying in CASA, interning at UNESCO 2004-05 Independent travel throughout Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan

2 Selected Grants & Honors

2016 National Endowment for the Arts Translation Grant (2 year project) 2016 Nominee for Saif Ghobash Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary Translation 2014 NEH Summer Institute for North African Studies 2010-11 Fulbright Grant for dissertation research in Morocco

Selected Publications

2020 “Malhun” entry in The Encyclopaedia of Islam THREE, Brill, 2020. In Press. 2020 The Arabic Community and Rhode Island Schools. 2019-2020 study funded by PrepareRI through the Rhode Island Department of Education. Final report available online here. 2018 “Epic of the Commander Dhat al-Himma.” Medieval Feminist Forum: A Journal of Gender and Sexuality 54, no. 3 (2018). Introduced, Edited, and Translated by Melanie Magidow. Available open-access at: https://ir.uiowa.edu/mff/vol54/iss3/1 2018 Arabic language and culture online teaching module: Across Borders. Co-created with Laila Familiar. Khallina.org. 2016 “Trending Classic: The Cultural Register of Moroccan Malhun Poetry” in The Journal of North African Studies 21.2 (March 2016).

Selected Translations, Arabic to English

2021 The Tale of Princess Fatima, Warrior Woman (provisional title). A newly translated abridgement of the Arabic epic by Melanie Magidow. In preparation and under contract with Penguin Classics. 2020 Translation of 10th-century detective story by Tanukhi. Titled “The Missing Hand” in ArabLit Quarterly 3, no. 2 (Summer 2020): 42-51. Access details here. 2019 Translation and introduction of Mazin Wasulak / How Delightful Your Arrival Would Be, Moroccan malhun poem, in ArabLit Quarterly Summer 2019. Access details here. 2016 Short Story “The Story of King Shahrayar and His Brother” by Somaya Ramadan in online literary journal K1N (8.4: 2016). Available online here. 2015 Mortal Designs by Reem Bassiouney (Ashiya’ ra’i‘a, Beirut, 2010). American University in Cairo Press, December 2015.

Professional Memberships

American Translators Association (ATA), New England Translators Association (NETA), American Literary Translators Association (ALTA), Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA), Middle East Studies Association (MESA)

Language Skills

Arabic: Modern Standard: Excellent ("Superior" level on ACTFL proficiency scale) Moroccan Colloquial: Excellent comprehension, communication Egyptian Colloquial: Advanced comprehension, communication Levantine Colloquial: Intermediate comprehension, communication

Native language English; reading comprehension in French, Spanish, Hebrew

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