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Arab Literature in Translation: A
Survey*
In
a world where translations of literary works are becoming more and more
important for the understanding of other cultures, there are distinct gaps in
most European book markets when it comes to creative writing from other
countries. This is particularly true for literature from the Arab World.
Literary
encounters between Europe and the Arab world have known eras with mutual respect
and curiosity. The Arabs in Spain, the translation center of Toledo, the names
of Ibn Rushd and Ibn Battuta, all stand for a symbiosis of cultures and peoples
with Arab-Islamic, Jewish, and Christian backgrounds: a situation of living
together which was not completely free of tensions, but essentially was one of
harmony and mutual understanding. All of them were trying to come to terms with
the great traditions of Greek and Roman origin. Even today, an important part of
this great heritage of Arab culture in Europe is part and parcel of a
civilization which is overemphasizing its Occidental character.
Literary
relations between the Arab world and Europe have enjoyed a great tradition,
particularly in the 19th century, when very apt go-betweens like Friedrich Georg
Rückert, or Joseph von Hammer-Purgstall made an impact, or when J. W. Goethe
created a special interest in the Orient, as it was called, when his poetic
style was influenced by the great Persian poet Hafiz.
It
was through the poetry of other peoples from other cultures that these scholars,
influenced by philosophical traditions of idealism, tried to understand those
foreign cultures. Even earlier than this, the translation of a collection of
stories generally known as 1001 nights by the French Orientalist Antoine Galland
in 1704, created a genuine wave of Orientalism, with translations of his version
into many European languages.
However,
this great past lies in a shadow, as one of the most important 20th century
Orientalists the German Annemarie Schimmel noted. This past has been followed by
a difficult and complex reality, which has not really been changed by speeches
or important international scholarly meetings. Arabic is increasingly being
studied at many universities, but despite an increasing number of people in
Europe who speak the language, Arabic is still seen as a marginal language.
Although the number of professional translators has increased in recent years,
there are still relatively few literary translators around.
By
looking at figures, the marginal role of literature from the Arab world in
European book markets is quite obvious. Only a few authors enjoy worldwide fame
and recognition. Of course Naguib Mahfouz, winner of the Nobel Prize for
Literature 1988, is widely translated and read. Amin Maalouf, Assia Djebar, and
Tahar Ben Jelloun, all of whom live in Paris, have enjoyed international
success. The late Khalil Gibran from Lebanon is a particular case in point, as
his mystic books (mostly translated from English) have found many readers who
are apparently intrigued by his philosophy of everyday life. It is no accident
that three of these successful authors write in French.
Only
a few authors from the Arab world have reached the magic mark of more than
10,000 copies sold of their translations, and very few of them are known outside
the special circles of scholars and people associated with the region, even if
many of these authors are reviewed fairly favorably.
The tendency for literary works by authors from the Arab world to go mostly
unread in Europe—with a few exceptions, of course—stands in marked contrast
to the interest taken in the problems and conflicts of the region. For every
fiction title from the region, there are at least two non-fiction books on most
European markets. Most of these are written by self-styled or real European
experts about various aspects of developments in the Arab world. The eternal
problems of the role of Islam or the role of women in Arab-Islamic societies are
the favorite themes of these books.
Even
before September 11, 2001, this debatable trend was fairly strong, and since
then, there has been a flood of books about terrorism and Islam, many of them
with dubious content. The region is portrayed as one of conflicts and terrorist
attacks, with a serious lack of democracy and development in most Arab states,
and this is not only published opinion, but also public opinion. In the shadow
of such a situation, literary works by Arab authors are facing an uphill task.
It is amazing that there are a fairly high number of translated books by Arab
authors in most European countries, while their place on the highly competitive
book markets in Europe continues to be marginal.
The
Situation in Germany
At
present, there are more than 500 works of fiction by Arab authors in print in
Germany. Less than half of them (about 200) have been translated from Arabic.
Many of them are translations from French, mostly by authors from North African
countries such as Morocco. Germany is a special case as there are quite a high
number of books written in German by authors of Arab origin. The most successful
among them are Rafik Schami, Salim Alafenisch, and Ghazi Abdel-Qadir.
Most
translated authors are Egyptians—with Naguib Mahfouz in the lead—followed by
authors from Lebanon, Syria, and Palestine (particularly Sahar Khalifa). The
number of Lebanese authors is high because of the special case of the late
Khalil Gibran. With regard to Syria, it is the prolific Rafik Schami who is most
prominent. There are fairly high numbers of translations from French by Algerian
authors such as Assia Djebar and Rachid Boudjedra, and Moroccan authors, namely
Tahar Ben Jelloun. At the same time, hardly any Tunisian authors are translated.
In the Netherlands there is a similar phenomenon to that in Germany, with a few
Moroccan authors writing in Dutch and who are then translated into other
languages: Abelkader Benali, for example.
For
German readers, some Arab League member states simply do not exist in literary
terms, as there are no translations available from these countries. Looking at
the issue from a different perspective, again it is relevant to look at figures.
At present, German readers have the choice of more than 125,000 fiction titles
(of which, around 40 percent are translations). Of these, less than 0.3 percent
are by authors from the Arab world, while several hundred books by Arab authors,
translated years ago, are out of print.
Can
this situation be influenced by corrective measures, particularly by funding
translations? The program of translation grants, organized by the Society for
the Promotion of African, Asian, and Latin American Literature, started with a
modest budget in 1984. Since then, 114 translations of books by Arab authors
have been supported, with funds coming from the German Foreign Ministry and the
Swiss cultural foundation Pro Helvetia. The majority of these translations were
from Arabic. Among the authors in this program were early translations of Naguib
Mahfouz, Gamal Al-Ghitani, Hanan Al-Scheich, Adonis, Emil Habibi, Edwar
Al-Kharrat, Ibrahim Al-Koni, Elias Khoury, Mahmud Darwish, and Abdalrahman
Munif.
Since
German language publishers have published only around 400 translations of books
by Arab authors, more than 20 percent of the translations were funded by this
program (the list of supported titles can be found at www.litprom.de).
Many of these books were first-time translations into German of these authors.
Also, a sizeable number of poetry translations were funded, mainly in view of
the fact that poetry often sells less well than novels. The tendency to support
publication of poetry is also in recognition of the fact that poetry plays a
more important role in the Arab world than in Europe.
The
Situation in Other Countries
In
France, Moroccan authors are more or less part and parcel of French literary
life, as most of them write in French. Authors writing in Arabic get less
recognition when translated into French, even if the French government has
supported the translations. In the majority of cases, only a small number of
copies are printed or sold. The specialized publishing house Actes Sud, which
took over the ambitious series Sindbad, funded by Pierre Bernard in the late
80s, rarely publishes more than 3,000 copies, even of works by renowned authors
like Gamal Al-Ghitani, Edwar Al-Kharrat, Sonallah Ibrahim, or Elias Khoury.
Probably the main reason that Elias Khoury’s novel La Porte du Soleil (Bab
Ash-Shams) crossed the 10,000 sales mark was because it was made into a film.
The
sales figures in France of translations from Arabic are especially disappointing
because the literary pages of Le Monde or Libération, for example, often carry
lengthy reviews or portraits of these authors; yet despite this, authors writing
originally in French continue to dominate the scene. Nevertheless, the series
editor of Sindbad at Actes Sud, Syrian-born Farouk Mardam-Bey, correctly claims
that the Arab world’s image is much more complex and truthful in these
translations than in the dominant images about political conflicts.
The
situation in the English speaking world is slightly more difficult because few
Arab authors write in English. Those few publishers who have committed
themselves to publish English translations of Arab authors (like Garnet and
Quartet Books in the United Kingdom, and university presses in the United States
such as Syracuse University Press or Interlink Press) rarely reach high print
runs. But the excellent publication Banipal Magazine of Modern Arab Literature
manages to convey a broad panorama of the diversity of Arab creative writing.
The result of these publishing activities is a simple one. Many important
literary texts by Arab authors are available in translation for people to buy
and read, although mass readerships are not reached, and some publishing
ventures, such as a series of books by Arab women authors, published by Garnet,
have been abandoned. The situation of the translation of contemporary Arab
fiction would be worse if it were not for the ambitious program of translation
of the American University in Cairo Press, which published interesting authors
in English translation and also looks after the works of Naguib Mahfouz
worldwide.
In
countries where every text from the Arab world has to be translated (whether
written in Arabic, French, English, or other languages), the situation is
probably less encouraging (with the exception maybe of Germany). In Sweden,
Norway, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Italy, Poland, Russia, or Hungary,
Arab authors are mostly known in translations after they have been translated
into English or French with satisfying sales, or if they have an important
literary award. It is not that there are no translations, but the translations
are published mainly by small publishing houses. Then there is the interesting
phenomenon of some Arab authors who are translated in one country but not in
another. Most of these translations are the work of committed and competent
translators, who in most cases have some university connections.
Spain
is a slightly different case because of long and close links with the Arab
world. But there is a marked difference in what is being translated because it
might sell well and what is being translated with a more scholarly (and
sometimes political) interest as a moving force, which invariably risks the
consequence that the books will not sell.
It
does not come as a surprise that in the whole of Europe there has been a
“Mahfouz effect.” Since then, translators who want to translate books by
Arab authors whom they like have a slightly better chance of convincing a
publishing cause to take such an author on, although most of these publishing
houses are small. It is another common feature that most translations have been
arranged by translators and committed individuals.
This,
in turn, is seen by some Arab critics as something akin to a European
conspiracy. Translations only happen when translators like a certain book or
author, which excludes the majority of Arab authors. If only those books that
please European tastes would be eligible, the selection of books to be
translated would convey an image of the Arab world that has little to do with
Arab realities as expressed in Arab creative writing.
There
is no doubt, however, that translations that do not reach readers are more or
less academic undertakings. In other words, the decision of what should be
translated should not be made according to the wishes of, for example, Egyptian,
Syrian, or Moroccan authors and critics, but according to what readers in Europe
might want to read to experience creative writing from the Arab world. Stefan
Weidner, one of the more successful Arabic translators in Germany, once observed
that without the committed work of these translators, there would be no Arab
literature in Western languages.
Why
Such a Situation?
It
is obvious that most Arab authors are writing for an Arab readership. Most of
them do not seem to be really interested in readers in Europe, and those
narrative strategies employed by mostly American authors who are on bestseller
lists in many countries are not in their focus. It is, of course, possible that
Arab authors are not influenced by these success strategies because they do not
read these global writers, partly because they are not translated into Arabic.
There
are, however, strong indications that European publishers, and also readers,
have fairly strong convictions and pre-conceived ideas of what Arab creative
writing should be all about. Titles with the word veil are selling better than
titles which do not have direct connotations with things thought to be Oriental.
Autobiographies of, for example, women singers, although of a dubious literary
quality, find more women readers than, for example, the autobiography of Latifa
Az-Zayyat (translated into several European languages).
“Women
in Islamic societies” is one of the cliché-ridden sales-oriented themes in
European publishing, which, of course, also knows fads and fashions. For many
years, the veil has been instrumental in creating a certain interest, just as
violence against women—including novels written by men—creates interest. Of
late there is a new trend: Arab women writing erotic stories. In some cases, the
author’s identity is hidden for marketing or other reasons. A recent case is a
novel written in French by an unknown North African female author with the name
of Nedjma—an interesting reference to the title of the famous novel by the
late Kateb Yacine.
It
is fairly likely that some of these books were not even written by Arab women.
“The orient is a Western invention,” wrote Abbas Beydoun, the Lebanese poet
and critic, in reference to the fundamental analysis by the late Edward Said in
his classic book Orientalism. The ploys and strategies of some publishers in
Europe to service their readers with books that meet the readers’ often
prejudiced expectations of the Orient, can, of course, only work if they find
authors who write along the desired lines. Most translators from Arabic are not
involved in such tendencies.
There
are other factors that may explain the relative lack of interest in Arab
creative writing in Europe. There are few serious reviews in the cultural pages
of important papers, partly because of lack of knowledge, partly because of lack
of continuity. There are a few exceptions—Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Neue
Zürcher Zeitung, Le Monde, Libération, The Guardian and El Pais. Most
reviewing happens in specialized publications with limited outreach. There is no
real serious public literary discourse any more with regard to aesthetic
considerations of Arab creative writing. Most universities barely influence
public opinion, probably because of their “ivory tower” situation and their
interest merely in the past or in linguistic aspects of the Arab world. Only a
few universities teach contemporary Arab fiction, and there are no courses for
literary translators, although there are non-academic translation centers with
an interest in Arabic.
Since
publishing Arab fiction in translation is hardly a lucrative business, there is
very little by way of advertising, publicity, and marketing investments. Joint
ventures of several publishers with Arab titles for joint promotion are not
known in Germany or other European countries. Also the Euro-Arab Book Fair,
organized by the Institute of the Arab World in Paris, has scarcely reached a
public beyond those already converted to Arab fiction. There is, however, a
laudable increase of poetry festivals in many European countries which invite
Arab poets as they invite poets from other parts of the world. Unfortunately,
there are also other trends which are less positive. While the important
bilingual publication Diwan, a journal for Arab and German poetry and edited by
Amal Al-Jubouri, is struggling hard to survive, there is a glossy publication
with the title Orient available at many newsstands in Germany and devoted almost
exclusively to belly dancing.
There
are also factors in the Arab world that do not encourage or satisfy the
curiosity of European readers. Publishing in the Arab world and a limited
culture of reading lead to a situation where many fiction titles by Arab authors
are not very successful in the Arab world. In particular, modern fiction does
not enjoy high print runs. Only a few publishers have international business
contacts; very few of them control their authors’ translation rights. Hence,
quite a high number of translations of works by Arab authors find their way to
publishers in Europe in very complicated ways, with translators often acting as
committed go-betweens.
In
other words, Arab fiction will be read and enjoyed in Europe by a growing number
of readers if it is being read and enjoyed in the Arab world. It is rather
unfortunate that often Arab creative writing catches the attention of Europeans
only when it is censored, usually for religious reasons.
Arab
publishing is not yet fully integrated into the international exchange of
translation rights. The results are a limited number of translations into Arabic
of important works from the North. Most Arab publishers cannot afford to
translate whatever might be of interest to the intellectuals in the Arab world
because the market is small and risks are high. They need translation grants;
and even then, many publishers have experience of Arab countries pirating their
Arabic translations of important Western works.
There
are, of course, consequences for intellectual discourse if those books that
shape intellectual discourse in Europe are not available in Arabic. While there
are translations of quite a number of important Arab creative writers available
in many European countries, there are very few translations available of
relevant works by philosophers, sociologists, and theologians published in the
Arab world.
The
Arab world is guest of honor at the Frankfurt Book Fair 2004. This event is
taking place against the trend of relations between the Arab world and Europe.
Since World War II, there have been deeply rooted lines of conflict, there are
very strong misunderstandings, and there is a lack of communication—reasons
enough for a sober analysis of what went wrong.
Such
an event is an important opportunity for listening much more attentively than in
the past to what the Arab world has to say. And here, the voices of poets,
storytellers, and novelists are much more important than the statements by
presidents, ministers and diplomats.
Peter
Ripken is the director of the Frankfurt based Society for the Promotion of
African, Asian and Latin American Literature: www.litprom.de
*
This article was originally published as background material for the press
conference of the Arab Guest of Honor 2004 on June 25, 2004.
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