LITERARY TRANSLATION FROM ARABIC INTO ENGLISH IN THE UNITED KINGDOM AND IRELAND, 1990-2010 a report prepared by Alexandra Büchler and AliCe Guthrie with research assistants Barbora Černá and MiChal Karas September 2011 Making Literature Travel series of reports on literary exchange, translation and publishing Series editor: Alexandra Büchler The report was prepared as part of the Euro-Mediterranean Translation Programme, a co-operation between the Anna Lindh Euro-Mediterranean Foundation for the Dialogue between Cultures, Literature Across Frontiers and Transeuropéenes, and with support from the Culture Programme of the European Union. Literature Across Frontiers, Mercator Institute for Media, Languages and Culture, Aberystwyth University, Wales, UK This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 UK: England & Wales License 1 Contents 1 Executive Summary ..................................................................................................... 4 2 Preface .................................................................................................................. 13 2.1 Background ....................................................................................................... 13 2.2 Method and scope ............................................................................................... 14 2.3 Literary translation in the British Isles ...................................................................... 14 2.4 Literary exchange as part of fostering international cultural relations ............................... 16 2.5 Overview of literary exchange and translation publishing and support infrastructure ............. 17 3 IntroduCtion ............................................................................................................ 19 3.1.1 Early Arabic literature ....................................................................................... 19 3.1.2 Arabic literary translation in the twentieth century ................................................... 20 3.1.3 Linguistic and literary issues of note ..................................................................... 22 4 Publishing ............................................................................................................... 22 4.1 Towards a bibliography of published translations ......................................................... 22 4.1.1 What is published? ........................................................................................... 24 4.1.2 Publishers, magazines, websites .......................................................................... 25 4.2 Profiles of publishers ........................................................................................... 25 4.2.1 Banipal Magazine of Modern Arab Literature ............................................................ 25 4.2.2 American University in Cairo Press ........................................................................ 26 4.2.3 Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation Publishing ................................................................ 29 4.2.4 Saqi Books ..................................................................................................... 30 4.2.5 Haus Arabia Books ............................................................................................ 30 4.2.6 Garnet Publishing / Ithaca Press .......................................................................... 30 4.2.7 Bloomsbury Publishing ....................................................................................... 31 4.2.8 Other UK publishers with Arabic titles ................................................................... 31 4.3 Key publishing issues ............................................................................................ 31 4.3.1 Selection process ............................................................................................. 31 4.3.2 Key influences on selection ................................................................................ 33 4.3.3 Sample translations for publishers ........................................................................ 35 4.3.4 Translator selection and editorial support ............................................................... 36 4.3.5 Editing process ................................................................................................ 38 5 Dissemination and reCeption ....................................................................................... 39 5.1 Print runs and re-editions ...................................................................................... 39 5.1.1 Theatre and radio productions ............................................................................. 44 5.1.2 Literary festivals and projects ............................................................................. 45 5.1.3 Promoting unknown writers to readers and publishers ................................................ 46 5.1.4 A forum for consciousness-raising by Arabs .............................................................. 47 5.2 Media and critical reception .................................................................................. 48 6 PoliCy and publiC / private support for literature in translation ........................................... 51 6.1 Public and private sector support from UK and Ireland cultural institutions ......................... 51 6.1.1 Publishers’ perspectives on subsidies ..................................................................... 53 6.1.2 Translators’ perspectives on public funding ............................................................. 54 6.2 Literature and Translation Prizes ............................................................................. 54 6.3 Public and private sector support for translation and dissemination of literature from the countries of origin ........................................................................................................ 58 7 Translation issues ..................................................................................................... 59 7.1 Translators ........................................................................................................ 59 7.1.1 Catherine Cobham ........................................................................................... 60 7.1.2 Jonathan Wright .............................................................................................. 61 7.1.3 William Hutchins ............................................................................................. 63 7.1.4 Nariman Youssef .............................................................................................. 64 7.1.5 Nancy Roberts ................................................................................................. 65 7.1.6 Tony Calderbank .............................................................................................. 66 7.2 Key issues raised by the translators .......................................................................... 68 7.3 Language and literary translation training opportunities ................................................ 75 7.4 Training opportunities and mentoring ....................................................................... 79 7.5 Translators’ conditions of work ............................................................................... 80 2 8 ConClusions and reCommendations ............................................................................... 85 8.1 Summary of key issues, problems, obstacles ............................................................... 85 8.1.1 Publishing ...................................................................................................... 85 8.1.2 Translators ..................................................................................................... 85 8.1.3 Funding for translation and promotion of books ........................................................ 86 8.2 Recommendations ............................................................................................... 86 8.2.1 A centralised online resource .............................................................................. 86 8.2.2 Bibliography and translation statistics ................................................................... 86 8.2.3 Translators, training and conditions of work ............................................................ 86 8.2.4 Publishing and the book trade ............................................................................. 87 8.2.5 Outreach to independent presses ......................................................................... 87 8.2.6 E-publishing ................................................................................................... 87 8.2.7 Translation and the media .................................................................................. 87 8.2.8 Access to work in translation ............................................................................... 87 8.2.9 Ensuring diversity in publishing, and in the programming of festivals, venues and projects ... 88 8.2.10 Support for literary exchange and mobility .......................................................... 88 8.2.11 Advocacy and funding for translation.................................................................. 88 9 Appendix 1: Bibliography, sourCes ...............................................................................