Forthcoming in Translation and in Re-translation: al-Shafee’s ‘Metro’ and Shimon’s ‘An Iraqi in Paris’
The Guardian reported yesterday that “Banned books return to shelves in Egypt and Tunisia,” and, for at least a few books, this seems to be the case.
Although texts from overseas still seem to be held up in the bowels of the censors’ office, others—such as A Red Card for the President by Abdul Halim Kandeel—are reportedly back on store shelves. And, further on the good-news front, Magdy al-Shafee’s Metro, which was yanked from stores in April 2008, will receive a new edition. According to al-Shafee, Metro will be republished by Dar Merit (in Arabic) in conjunction with a Lebanese publishing house.
Metro also will also soon have an English version. The graphic novel—the first Egyptian graphic novel for adults—has been translated in full by Humphrey Davies, who earlier translated an excerpt for Words Without Borders. It will be published in early 2012 by Metropolitan Books, which also publishes Joe Sacco.
And in Re-translation:
Bloomsbury Qatar reports that they’ve just received copies of the re-translation of Samuel Shimon’s critically acclaimed autobiographically based novel, An Iraqi in Paris.
The first translation was published by Banipal Books in 2005, and it was worked on by a whole raft of scholars and translators: Samira Kawar, Paul Starkey, Issa J Boullata, Christina Phillips, Shakir Mustafa, and Fiona Collins.
The new version, translated by Piers Amodia and Christina Phillips, has a much more appealing cover, and, insha’allah, much more fluid and consistently paced prose.
Magdy al-Shafee’s Metro to be Published in English in 2012 « By The Firelight
March 6, 2011 @ 5:47 pm
[…] Arabic Literature in English is reporting that Magdy al-Shafee’s Graphic Novel Metro which has been baned in Egypt will be coming out in English in 2012. I don’t have too much more information on the book, but I have been waiting for this to get published into English or Spanish so I could give it a read. It has gotten a lot of good criticism. You can read an excerpt at Words Without Borders (link below). And, further on the good-news front, Magdy al-Shafee’sMetro, which was yanked from stores in April 2008, will receive a new edition. According to al-Shafee,Metro will be republished by Dar Merit (in Arabic) in conjunction with a Lebanese publishing house. […]
Censors in Tunisia and Egypt Have ‘Important Role to Play’? | Arabic Literature (in English)
May 24, 2011 @ 10:06 am
[…] Also, books can be censored after publication—yanked from shelves and their authors and publishers fined—as with Magdy al-Shafee’s graphic novel, Metro. […]