Women in Translation Month Wrapup: Stories, Interviews, Lists, Poems, & More
This month, as in past Augusts, we focused on writing by Arab women in translation. We included new translations of stories and novel excerpts, lit lists, audio recordings of poetry, book reviews, and writers’ recommendations. We also expanded our view with a special section curated by editor Essayed Taha: Arab Women of Words: Conversations With 9 Industry Leaders.
Special section
In this special section, Essayed Taha talks to nine women in publishing about how they see their role in the publishing landscape now and in the future.
Arab Women of Words: Conversations With 9 Industry Leaders
#NineStories
We continue our “9 Stories” series, begun in 2021, with short works by women writers from Libya, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Kuwait, and Tunisia, in translation.
9 Short Texts by Libyan Women, in Translation
9 Short Works by Saudi Women, in Translation
Poetry
Two poems by Mona Kareem read for you in Arabic, by Mona, and in English, by translator Sara Elkamel.
Monday Poetry: Two Readings by Mona Kareem and Sara Elkamel
Other lists
Other lit lists, including a list of prison narratives by women and recommendations by Arab women writers.
Writing Their Way Out: 16 Prison Narratives by Arab Women
Women Recommending Women: 12 Arab Authors Share Their Favorites
Women in Translation Month: 10 New Books for 2023
Book excerpts
Excerpts from a range of novels and nonfictional works, including Mohammed Hanif’s new foreword to Sahar Khalifeh’s Wild Thorns.
From Enayat al-Zayyat’s ‘Love and Silence
From May Telmissany’s ‘Everyone Says I Love You’
From Khadijah Marouazi’s ‘History of Ash’
From Iman Mersal’s ‘Traces of Enayat’: Finding Nadia Lutfi
Novelist Mohammed Hanif on the Re-release of Sahar Khalifeh’s Classic ‘Wild Thorns’
Short stories
A classic short story by Iraqi writer Daisy Al-Amir in fresh translation by Hend Saeed.
Interviews
Talks about books released in August and September, from a graphic novel to a prison novel to Iman Mersal’s genre-encompassing Traces of Enayat.
The ‘Strange, Somewhat Miraculous’ Tale of Translating Lena Merhej’s ‘Yoghurt and Jam’