3 Arabic Translators Longlisted for John Dryden Prize, One ‘Highly Commended’

At the beginning of this week, organizers of the John Dryden Translation Competition announced the winners of their 2021 award:

The competition, organized by the British Comparative Literature Association in memory of the first British poet laureate John Dryden (1631–1700), is sponsored jointly with the British Centre for Literary Translation at the University of East Anglia. The competition looks at unpublished literary translations, from any period, from any language into English.

According to organizers, the longlistees, commended texts, and winners were chosen from over 100 entries and 29 different languages.

Translator Katherine Van de Vate was “highly commended” for her translations of, Black Rains, from Badr Ahmad’s أمطار سوداء.

The three longlisted translators are:

Ghareeb Iskander and Hassan Abdulrazzak for A Jeremiad for Hafiz Shirazi from Abdul Wahab al-Bayati’s Arabic text بكائية الى حافظ الشيرازي

Jeehan Ashercook for You have forgotten while I remain your lover from Ibn Zaydun’s Arabic text سُلِوْتُمْ وَبَقِينَا نَحْنُ عُشَّاقاً

Anam Zafar for In the Tenderness of War from Najat Abdel Samad’s Arabic text في حنان الحرب

You can watch more from Anam Zafar and Najat Abdel Samad about In the Tenderness of War on the BILA HUDOOD YouTube channel.

For interested translators, the deadline for next year’s competition is Monday, February 7, 2022. You can download the entry form at their website. First prize is £350; second prize is £200; and third prize is £100; other entries may receive commendations.