Translating Oman

The”Translating Oman” event, hosted by Syracuse University Press, featured a discussion about Omani literature and translation with Zia Ahmed, translator of Hamoud Saud’s The Raven of Ruwi and Other Stories from Oman; Bushra Khalfan, author of the International Prize for Arabic Fiction-shortlisted novel Dilshad, among other acclaimed works; Marilyn Booth, translator of Zahran Alqasmi’s Honey Hunger, winner of the 2025 Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary Translation, and co-winner of International Booker with Jokha Alharthi for Celestial Bodies. 

The bookstore Zia and Marilyn recommend is مكتبة القراء المعرفة.

World Editions will publish Huda Hamed’s new book, in Zia Ahmed’s translation, next year.

Bushra Khalfan’s The Garden We Carry is forthcoming in July in Luke Leafgren’s translation from Dar Arab.

Mohamed Alyahyai’s The War — the book recommended by Zia Ahmed — comes out in Christiaan James’s translation next month from Dar Arab; Hamoud Saud’s The Raven of Ruwi and Other Stories from Oman came out in Zia Ahmed’s translation last month from Syracuse University Press.

Marilyn Booth recommended قوانين الفقد  by Mazen Habeeb.

Bushra recommended short-story collections by Suliman al-Mamari, Mazen Habeeb, Hamoud Saud, Mahmoud al Rahbi, Yahya Salam, Asma al-Shamsi, Huda Hamed, Jokha al-Harthi, and Mohammed Alyahyai.

Don’t miss Yasmeen Hanoosh’s “Between Two Arabic Translators” discussion with Zia Ahmed, which also focuses on Omani literature and translation.