Literary translation award
The Banipal Prize, whose full name is the Saif Ghobash–Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary Translation, is an annual prize awarded to a translator (or translators) for the published English
translation of a full-length literary work in the
Arabic language.
[1] The prize was inaugurated in 2006 by the literary magazine
Banipal which promotes the diffusion of contemporary
Arabic literature through English translations and the Banipal Trust for Arab Literature. It is administered by the
Society of Authors in the UK (which runs a number of similar literary translation prizes), and the prize money is sponsored by
Omar Saif Ghobash and his family in memory of Ghobash's late father Saif Ghobash. As of 2009, the prize money amounted to £3000.
Winners and nominees
= winner
2006
Judges:
Moris Farhi,
Maya Jaggi,
Roger Allen
2007
Judges:
Moris Farhi,
Maya Jaggi,
Roger Allen
2008
Judges:
Marilyn Booth,
Aamer Hussein,
Bill Swainson,
Roger Allen
2009
Judges:
Francine Stock,
Aamer Hussein,
Marilyn Booth,
Roger Allen
2010
Source:
[2]
[3]
Judges:
Margaret Drabble,
Susan Bassnett,
Elliott Colla,
Yasir Suleiman
2011
Source:
[4]
[5]
[6]
Judges:
Sarah Churchwell,
Joan Smith,
Christina Phillips,
Samuel Shimon
2012
Source:
[7]
Judges:
Ruth Padel,
Esther Freud,
Fadhil al-Azzawi,
John Peate
2013
Source:
[8]
[9]
Judges:
Humphrey Davies,
Hassan Abdulrazzak,
Rajeev Balasubramanyam,
Meike Ziervogel
2014
Source:
[10]
[11]
Longlist
- The Mehlis Report by
Rabee Jaber, trans.
Kareem James Abu-Zeid (New Directions)
- The Arch and the Butterfly by
Mohammed Achaari, trans.
Aida Bamia (Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation Publishing)
- Private Pleasures by
Hamdy El-Gazzar, trans.
Humphrey Davies (AUC Press)
- Ben Barka Lane by
Mahmoud Saeed, trans.
Kay Heikkinen (Interlink Publishing Co.)
- Other Lives by
Iman Humaydan, trans.
Michelle Hartman (Interlink Books)
- Throwing Sparks by
Abdo Khal, trans.
Maia Tabet and
Michael K. Scott (Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation Publishing)
- That Smell by
Sonallah Ibrahim, trans.
Robyn Creswell (New Directions)
- House of the Wolf by
Ezzat El Kamhawi, trans.
Nancy Roberts (AUC Press)
- New Waw by
Ibrahim al-Koni, trans.
William M. Hutchins (University of Texas Press)
- Moon and Henna Tree by
Ahmed Toufiq, trans.
Roger Allen (University of Texas Press)
- The Bridges of Constantine by
Ahlem Mosteghanemi, trans.
Raphael Cohen (translator) (Bloomsbury)
- Earth Weeps, Saturn Laughs by
Abdulaziz al Farsi, trans.
Nancy Roberts (AUC Press)
- Gertrude by
Hassan Najmi, trans.
Roger Allen (Interlink Books)
- Status Emo by
Eslam Mosbah, trans.
Raphael Cohen (translator) (AUC Press)
- The Silence and the Roar by
Nihad Sirees, trans.
Max Weiss (Pushkin Press)
Judges:
Paul Blezard-Gymer,
Lulu Norman,
Samuel Shimon,
Jonathan Wright
2015
Source:
[12]
Longlist
- Stealth by
Sonallah Ibrahim, trans.
Hosam Aboul-Ela (New Directions, USA)
- The Penguin's Song by
Hassan Daoud, trans.
Marilyn Booth (City Lights Publishers, USA)
- African Titanics by
Abu Bakr Khaal, trans.
Charis Bredin (Darf Publishers, UK)
- Butterfly Wings by
Mohamed Salmawy, trans.
Raphael Cohen (The American University in Cairo Press, Egypt/USA)
- Fullblood Arabian by
Osama Alomar, trans.
C.J. Collins (New Directions, USA)
- The Broken Mirrors: Sinalcol by
Elias Khoury, trans.
Humphrey Davies (Maclehose Press, UK)
-
Diary of a Jewish Muslim by
Kamal Ruhayyim, trans.
Sarah Enany (The AUC Press, Egypt/USA)
- Who's Afraid of Meryl Streep by
Rashid Al-Daif, trans.
Paula Haydar and
Nadine Sinno (Centre for Middle Eastern Studies, University of Texas at Austin, USA)
- French Perfume by
Amir Tag Elsir, trans.
William M. Hutchins (Antibookclub, USA)
- Nothing More to Lose by
Najwan Darwish, poetry trans.
Kareem James Abu-Zeid (NY Books, USA)
- The Iraqi Nights by
Dunya Mikhail, poetry trans. Kareem James Abu-Zeid (New Directions, USA)
- The Woman from Tantoura by
Radwa Ashour, trans.
Kay Heikkinen (The AUC Press, Egypt/USA)
- Dates on my Fingers by
Muhshin al-Ramli, trans.
Luke Leafgren (The AUC Press, Egypt/USA)
- Oh, Salaam! by
Najwa Barakat, trans.
Luke Leafgren (Interlink, USA)
- Where Pigeons Don't Fly by
Yousef Al-Mohaimeed, trans. Robin Moger (Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation Publishing)
- Women of Karantina by
Nael Eltoukhy, trans.
Robin Moger (The AUC Press, Egypt/USA)
- The Crocodiles by
Youssef Rakha, trans.
Robin Moger (Seven Stories Press, USA)
- Days of Ignorance by
Laila Aljohani, trans.
Nancy Roberts (Bloomsbury, UK/USA)
- Chaos of the Senses by
Ahlem Mosteghanemi, trans.
Nancy Roberts (Bloomsbury)
- The Lanterns of the King of Galilee by
Ibrahim Nasrallah, trans. Nancy Roberts (The AUC Press, Egypt/USA)
- Blue Lorries by
Radwa Ashour, trans.
Barbara Romaine (Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation Publishing)
- Beirut, Beirut by
Sonallah Ibrahim, trans.
Chip Rossetti (Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation Publishing)
- The Book of the Sultan's Seal by
Youssef Rakha, trans.
Paul Starkey (Interlink, USA)
- Monarch of the Square: an Anthology of Mohamed Zafzaf's Short Stories by
Mohamed Zafzaf, trans.
Mbarek Sryfi and Roger Allen (Syracuse University Press, USA)
- The Chronicles of Majnun Layla and Selected Poems by
Qassim Haddad, poetry trans.
John Verlenden and
Ferial Ghazoul (Syracuse University Press, USA)
- Rain Over Baghdad by
Hala el Badry, trans.
Farouk Abdel Wahab (The AUC Press, Egypt/USA)
- Land Of No Rain by
Amjad Nasser, trans. Jonathan Wright (Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation Publishing)
- Temple Bar by
Bahaa Abdelmegid, trans. Jonathan Wright (The AUC Press, Egypt/USA)
- Chewing Gum by
Mansour Bushnaf, trans.
Mona Zaki (Darf Publishers, UK)
Judges: Robin Ostle, Samira Kawar, Alastair Niven, Susannah Tarbush.
2016
Source:
[13]
-
Jonathan Wright for his translation of the novel The Bamboo Stalk by Saud Alsanousi
Longlist
- Confessions by
Rabee Jaber, trans.
Kareem James Abu-Zeid (New Directions, USA)
- The Bride of Amman by
Fadi Zaghmout, trans.
Ruth Ahmedzai Kemp (Signal 8 Press, Hong Kong)
- Desert Sorrows by
Tayseer al-Sboul, trans.
Nesreen Akhtarkhavari and Anthony A Lee (Michigan State University Press, USA)
- My Torturess by
Bensalem Himmich, trans.
Roger Allen (Syracuse University Press, USA)
- Hurma by
Ali al-Muqri, trans. T M Aplin (Darf Publishers, UK)
-
Ebola '76 by
Amir Tag Elsir, trans. Charis Bredin and Emily Danby (Darf Publishers, UK)
- 32 by
Sahar Mandour, trans.
Nicole Fares (Syracuse University Press, USA)
- The Automobile Club of Egypt by
Alaa Al Aswany, trans. Russell Harris (Canongate, UK)
- Ali and his Russian Mother by
Alexandra Chreiteh, trans. Michelle Hartman (Interlink Publishing, USA)
- Telepathy by
Amir Tag Elsir, trans.
William M Hutchins (Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation Publishing, Qatar)
- The Scarecrow by
Ibrahim al-Koni, trans. William M Hutchins (CMES, University of Texas at Austin, USA)
- A Portal in Space by
Mahmoud Saeed, trans. William M Hutchins (CMES, University of Texas at Austin, USA)
- All Faces but Mine by
Samih al-Qasim, trans. Abdulwahid Lu‘lu‘a (Syracuse University Press, USA)
- Mortal Designs by
Reem Bassiouney, trans. Melanie Magidow (AUC Press, Egypt/USA)
- The Dust of Promises by
Ahlem Mostaghanemi, trans. Nancy Roberts (Bloomsbury Publishing, UK)
- Whitefly by
Abdelilah Hamdouchi, trans. Jonathan Smolin (Hoopoe Fiction, Egypt/USA)
- The Holy Sail by
Abdulaziz al-Mahmoud, trans. Karim Traboulsi (Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation Publishing, Qatar)
- The Bamboo Stalk by
Saud Alsanousi, trans. Jonathan Wright (Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation Publishing, Qatar)
- The Televangelist by
Ibrahim Essa, trans. Jonathan Wright (Hoopoe Fiction, Egypt/USA)
Judges:
Paul Starkey, Lucy Popescu, Zahia Smail Salhi, Bill Swainson,
2017
Source:
[14]
Judges: Alastair Niven, Peter Kalu,
Wen-chin Ouyang, Salam Sarhan.
2018
Source:
[15]
Longlist
- In Jerusalem and Other Poems by
Tamim al-Barghouti, translated by
Radwa Ashour,
Tamim al-Barghouti,
Ahdaf Soueif (Interlink Books)
- No Road to Paradise by
Hassan Daoud, translated by
Marilyn Booth (Hoopoe Fiction, AUC Press)
- Divine Names by
Luay Abdul-Ilah, translated by
Judy Cumberbatch (Mira Publishing)
- Hend and the Soldiers by
Badriah Albeshr, translated by
Sanna Dhahir (CMES Publications, Univ Texas at Austin)
- The American Quarter by
Jabbour Douaihy, translated by Paula Haydar (Interlink Books)
- The Apartment in Bab el-Louk by
Donia Maher (with illustrations by Ganzeer and Ahmad Nady), translated by Elisabeth Jaquette (Darf Publishers)
- Suslov's Daughter by
Habib Abdulrab Sarori, translated by Elisabeth Jaquette (Darf Publishers)
- Tales of Yusuf Tadrus by
Adel Esmat, translated by
Mandy McClure (AUC Press)
- All The Battles by
Maan Abu Taleb, translated by
Robin Moger (Hoopoe Fiction, AUC Press)
- Embrace on Brooklyn Bridge by
Ezzedine C. Fishere, translated by John Peate (AUC Press)
- Gaza Weddings by
Ibrahim Nasrallah, translated by Nancy Roberts (Hoopoe Fiction, AUC Press)
- Farewell, Damascus by
Ghada Samman, translated by Nancy Roberts (Darf Publishers)
- Bled Dry by
Abdelilah Hamdouchi, translated by Benjamin Smith (Hoopoe Fiction, AUC Press)
- The Blueness of the Evening: Selected Poems of Hassan Najmi by
Hassan Najmi, translated by Mbarek Sryfi and Eric Sellin (University of Arkansas Press)
- Fractured Destinies by
Rabai al-Madhoun, translated by
Paul Starkey (Hoopoe Fiction, AUC Press)
- The Baghdad Eucharist by
Sinan Antoon, translated by
Maia Tabet (Hoopoe Fiction, AUC Press)
Judges: Pete Ayrton, Georgia de Chamberet,
Fadia Faqir and Sophia Vasalou.
2019
Source:
[16]
Judges:
Ghazi Gheblawi (chair), Dr Jan Fortune, Abla Oudeh, Catherine Taylor.
2021
The shortlist was announced on 24 November 2021. The jury consisted of Roger Allen (Chair), Rosemarie Hudson, Ronak Hosni, and Caroline McCormick.
[17] The winner was announced on 12 January 2022.
[18]
[19]
2022
The shortlist was announced on 1 December 2022. The jury consisted of Charis Olszok (chair), Susheila Nasta, Katharine Halls, and Becki Maddock.
[20]
[21] The winners were announced on 12 January 2023.
[22]
[23]
See also
References