Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary Translation
Encyclopedia
The Banipal Prize, formally known as the Saif Ghobash–Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary Translation, is an annual prize awarded to a translator (or translators) for the published English translation
of a full-length literary work in the Arabic language
. The prize was inaugurated in 2006 by the literary magazine Banipal which promotes the diffusion of contemporary Arabic literature
through English translations. It is administered by the Society of Authors
in the UK (which runs a number of similar literary translation prizes), and the prize money is sponsored by Omar Saif Ghobash
and his family in memory of Ghobash's late father Saif Ghobash. As of 2009, the prize money amounted to £3000.
: The Collar and the Bracelet by Yahya Taher Abdullah
: The Butterfly’s Burden by Mahmoud Darwish
Translation
Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. Whereas interpreting undoubtedly antedates writing, translation began only after the appearance of written literature; there exist partial translations of the Sumerian Epic of...
of a full-length literary work in the Arabic language
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
. The prize was inaugurated in 2006 by the literary magazine Banipal which promotes the diffusion of contemporary Arabic literature
Arabic literature
Arabic literature is the writing produced, both prose and poetry, by writers in the Arabic language. The Arabic word used for literature is adab which is derived from a meaning of etiquette, and implies politeness, culture and enrichment....
through English translations. It is administered by the Society of Authors
Society of Authors
The Society of Authors is a trade union for professional writers that was founded in 1884 to protect the rights of writers and fight to retain those rights .It has counted amongst its members and presidents numerous notable writers and poets including Tennyson The Society of Authors (UK) is a...
in the UK (which runs a number of similar literary translation prizes), and the prize money is sponsored by Omar Saif Ghobash
Omar Saif Ghobash
Omar Saif Ghobash is a businessman and diplomat from the United Arab Emirates.Saif Ghobash sponsors Saif Ghobash–Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary Translation, in memory of his father, Saif Ghobash, a former Minister of Foreign Affairs, who was assassinated at Abu Dhabi International Airport in...
and his family in memory of Ghobash's late father Saif Ghobash. As of 2009, the prize money amounted to £3000.
2010
Humphrey Davies: Yalo by Elias Khoury- Humphrey Davies: Sunset Oasis by Bahaa TaherBahaa TaherBahaa Taher , sometimes transliterated as Bahaa Tahir, Baha Taher, or Baha Tahir, is an Egyptian novelist who writes in Arabic. He was awarded the inaugural International Prize for Arabic Fiction in 2008.-Life:...
- Kareem James Abu-Zeid: Cities without Palms by Tarek Etayeb
2009
Samah SelimSamah Selim
Samah Selim is an Egyptian scholar and translator of Arabic literature. She studied English literature at Barnard College, and obtained her PhD from Columbia University in 1997. At present she is an assistant professor at Rutgers University...
: The Collar and the Bracelet by Yahya Taher Abdullah
Yahya Taher Abdullah
Yahya Taher Abdullah was an Egyptian writer.Abdullah grew up in Upper Egypt but moved to Cairo in 1964 at the age of 28. One of the first to recognize his talents was the writer and editor Edwar al-Kharrat who arranged a monthly stipend for him. Nonetheless, Abdullah lived a meagre existence...
- Michelle HartmanMichelle HartmanMichelle Hartman is an academic and translator. She obtained a BA from Columbia College in 1993 and a DPhil from Oxford University in 1998. She is currently an associate professor of Arabic and francophone literature at the Institute of Islamic Studies, McGill University. She is the author of a...
: Wild Mulberries by Iman Humaydan YounesIman Humaydan YounesIman Humaydan Younes is a Lebanese writer. She was born in the Mount Lebanon governorate in 1956. She studied sociology at the American University in Beirut. She has published two novels till date:* B as in Beirut... - Elliott CollaElliott CollaElliott Colla is an American academic, translator and author specializing in Arabic literature and culture. He studied at the University of California, Berkeley, completing his Bachelor's degree in 1989 and subsequently a PhD in comparative literature in 2000...
: Gold Dust by Ibrahim al-KoniIbrahim Al-KoniIbrahim Al-Koni is a Libyan writer and one of the most prolific Arabic novelists.Born in 1948 in the Fezzan Region, Ibrahim al-Koni was brought up on the tradition of the Tuareg, popularly known as "the veiled men" or "the blue men." Mythological elements, spiritual quest and existential...
2008
Fady JoudahFady Joudah
Fady Joudah is a Palestinian-American poet and physician. He is the 2007 winner of the Yale Series of Younger Poets Competition for his collection of poems The Earth in the Attic.-Life:...
: The Butterfly’s Burden by Mahmoud Darwish
Mahmoud Darwish
Mahmoud Darwish was a Palestinian poet and author who won numerous awards for his literary output and was regarded as the Palestinian national poet...
- Ghassan NasrGhassan NasrGhassan Nasr is an academic and translator. He obtained an MFA from the University of Arkansas. He also obtained an MA and a PhD from Indiana University. He is currently an assistant professor in the English department at DePauw University. Nasr is the translator of The Journals of Sarab Affan by...
: The Journals of Sarab Affan by Jabra Ibrahim JabraJabra Ibrahim JabraJabra Ibrahim Jabra was a Palestinian author of Syriac-Orthodox origin born in Bethlehem at the time of the British Mandate... - Nancy RobertsNancy RobertsNancy Roberts, a motion picture and television producer and writer, is the managing partner of Stampede Entertainment. She was previously a talent agent and later a talent manager who ran her own company called The Roberts Company.-Filmography:...
: The Man from Bashmour by Salwa BakrSalwa BakrSalwa Bakr is an Egyptian critic, novelist and author. She was born in the Matariyya district in Cairo in 1949. Her father was a railway worker. She studied business at Ain Shams University, gaining a BA degree in 1972. She went on to earn another BA in literary criticism in 1976, before embarking...
2007
Farouk Mustafa (pen-name Farouk Abdel Wahab): The Lodging House by Khairy ShalabyKhairy Shalaby
Khairy Shalaby was an Egyptian novelist and writer. He wrote some 70 books, including twenty novels, critical studies, historical tales, plays and short story collections...
- Marilyn BoothMarilyn Booth-Biography:Booth graduated summa cum laude from Harvard University in 1978, and was the first female winner of the Wendell Scholarship. She obtained a D.Phil. in Arabic literature and Middle Eastern history from St Antony's College, Oxford in 1985. She received a Marshall Fellowship for her...
: Thieves in Retirement by Hamdi Abu GolayyelHamdi Abu GolayyelHamdi Abu Golayyel is an Egyptian writer. He was born in 1967/68 in a Bedouin village in the Fayoum region. His ancestors arrived from Libya in the early 19th century to settle in Fayoum. Abu Golayyel migrated to Cairo in the early 1980s, and worked as a construction labourer on building sites... - Peter TherouxPeter TherouxPeter Theroux is an American writer and translator. He studied English literature at Harvard University, and spent a year at the American University in Cairo...
: Saraya, The Ogre’s Daughter by Emile Habiby
2006
Humphrey Davies: Gate of the Sun by Elias Khoury- Hala HalimHala HalimHala Halim is an Egyptian academic and translator. She studied literature at university, obtaining a BA from Alexandria University in 1985 and an MA from the American University in Cairo in 1992. She completed her doctorate from UCLA in 2004. Her PhD dissertation "The Alexandria Archive: An...
: Clamor of the Lake by Mohamed el-Bisatie - Paul StarkeyPaul StarkeyPaul Starkey is a British scholar and translator of Arabic literature. He received his doctorate from Oxford University; the subject of his dissertation was the works of the Egyptian writer Tawfiq Hakim. He is currently the head of the Arabic department at the University of Durham...
: Stones of Bobello by Edwar al-KharratEdwar al-KharratEdwar al-Kharrat is an Egyptian novelist, writer and critic. He was born in Alexandria to a Coptic Christian family. He studied law at Alexandria University and worked briefly in banking and insurance. He was also actively engaged in left-wing politics and spent two years in jail from 1948–50...
See also
- Scott Moncrieff PrizeScott Moncrieff PrizeThe Scott Moncrieff Prize, named after the translator C. K. Scott Moncrieff, is an annual £2,000 literary prize for French to English translation, awarded to one or more translators every year for a full-length work deemed by the Translators Association to have "literary merit"...
- Arkansas Arabic Translation AwardArkansas Arabic Translation AwardThe Arkansas Arabic Translation Award is a prize given for a notable English translation of a book-length literary work originally written in the Arabic language. The award is administered by the King Fahd Center for Middle East and Islamic Studies at the University of Arkansas...
- List of Arabic-English translators