Posts

1937 promotion of career diplomats This post is aimed at those who are considering opening a new business, especially those who want to Freelance or be Independent Contractors. This is a place for me to begin sharing what I’m learning since opening my own business in 2017. Looking Back & Looking Forward I had been translating for publication since 2009, but I wanted to change my approach to my translation work.

It takes a village for most endeavors! I offer thanks and recommendations for the following people who have had a hand in this enterprise: This website has a new look thanks to: Michael Iula of Oak Tree Web Development IT Advising by Daniella Norwood of Ella J Designs Logo Design by Marina Cariello Translation Mentoring (commercial) by Irina Sears of Arabic Language Associates – Irina has 15 years of experience translating from Arabic into English, specializing in the life sciences.

There is a particular pleasure in finding an author who writes in a style/genre that you learned to like in another language first. Helping someone else with such as discovery is just as fulfilling! The following inquiry came from a friend who teaches Arabic in a U.S. university. Her first language is English, but she is near-native in Arabic and wants ideas of fun books to read in Arabic (I’ve included English translations if available as well).

I’ve been pondering what my “10 for Libraries” list would look like ever since M. Lynx Qualey and Ursula discussed “Where to Start” (reading Arabic literature) on the Bulaq podcast, and as I’ve been seeing the various “10 for Libraries” lists posted on Arablit.org (first in the series here). Novel: The Open Door by Latifa Zayaat – The classic feminist novel in Arabic. Set in 1940s-50s Egypt during anti-colonial struggles. A highly developed main character, showing her shifting relationships to family members, romantic partners, and her nation.

I recommend anything by Ahmed Salah Al-Mahdi, a bright new talent in the Arab World. His books provide great suspense, enchanting world building, satisfying storylines, and compelling characters.See here for his website, and here and here for two interviews with him. His first book available in English is Reem: Into the Unknown. Review available here. Also available in Arabic wherever you get your books (including ebook at Kotobi, paperback at Neelwafurat, and Audiobook at Storytel).

This weekend, I’m planning to attend the annual New England Translator Association (NETA) conference. During a keynote last year, Chris Durban argued that translators should insist on receiving credit for the the work they do (such as a note on every final translation naming the translator). This is an issue in both literary and commercial translation. There is marked improvement in the literary/publishing industry, in which the name of the translator is increasingly included on the front cover.

Here’s my new edition and translation of part of the medieval Arabic Sirat al-Amira Dhat al-Himma ‘Epic of the Commander Dhat al-Himma’ https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2151&context=mff Available online and open-access at the above link! Check it out if you’re interested in medieval epics, classical Arabic literature, popular culture, or warrior women. This publication includes the Arabic excerpt, my English translation, and a scholarly introduction. For more background, see my previous posts on Arabic epics and on the NEA Grant that helped fund this work.

Al-Buraq (ِِالبراق) is a supernatural creature in Islamic tradition that travels extremely rapidly. It appears in the context of the Prophet Muhammad’s miraculous night journey (Arabic Isra’ إسراء) from Mecca to Jerusalem, followed by the ascension (Ar. Mi‘raj معراج). This journey occurred on the 27th of Rajab in the Islamic calendar, and is remembered among Muslims every year. The journey is mentioned in the Quran only briefly (Quran 17:1). Al-Buraq and other details regarding the journey are given in Hadith (Traditions).

Vertigo, the thriller by Ahmed Mourad, came out in Egypt in 2007. It was a bestseller, which is saying something in the Arab World where reading fiction is not as popular as it is in Europe, for example. Curious, I added it to my to-read list, and just finished it. We had a group discussion here with the MENA Lit Group on Goodreads. Marcia Lynx Qualey (of Arablit.org) moderated, and English translator Robin Moger contributed.

I have been translating for publication since 2009, but I did not open my own business until 2017. So I still consider myself a junior professional translator, yet people are already asking me questions about my experience and seeking my advice on how to enter this field. In this post, I provide a brief overview of the industry of translation and lots of helpful resources. I may return to this post to update it with further resources that stand out as particularly helpful.