Nashwa Nasreldin on why Arabic literature translators are needed now more than ever

The National

3 days ago

The morning light falls gently on Nashwa Nasreldin's face as she settles down for our Zoom call, placing a mug on the side and adjusting her scarf. 'Did I tell you I got this when I was in India," she says, pointing to her Jaipuri silk scarf. Then, as if picking up from incomplete conversation, she says: "The opportunity now lies in uplifting the work and voices of translators based in the Middle East, who have less access to the support networks than we do living in the West."
Nasreldin, who currently lives in London, sips her coffee and then continues: 'Recently, we held our inaugural workshop for emerging translators in Gaza, run by the ArabLit platform, with each session led by experienced professional literary translators - some of the best in the field of Arabic /English literary translation."
Born in Kuwait to Egyptian parents, Nasreldin is a translator, editor and author with a mission. She says the work of translators in literature is now more urgent than ever.
"We need more translations to drown out the voices of those who try to rewrite our stories," she tells The National. "There has been an outpouring of literature from and about Gaza and Palestinians more broadly since October 7, 2023. This shows a recognition in the important role literature plays in recording, reporting, archiving and legacy-making."
Nasreldin's work first came to the limelight in 2018 when she translated After Coffee by Egyptian author and academic Abdelrashid Mahmoudi, who won the Sheikh Zayed Book Award in 2014.
Being tasked to translate Mahmoudi's book was a big moment for her because because it meant she had finally arrived, she says.
'I really enjoyed Mahmoudi's book when I read it in Arabic. For me, literary quality is an important factor when I come to choose a project given that you have to inhabit the book's world so intensely in the process of translating it."
Nasreldin's work has since take her around the world, including to the Jaipur Literature Festival in February where we first met – where she spoke about her struggles and the importance of translators.
Her career as a translator began when she studied Moroccan writer Mohammed Bennis's work as a part of her master's course work at the Vermont College of Fine Arts in the US.
'I studied Bennis and produced an in-depth study of his writings on translation. At this time, I also met writer and translation-advocate Maureen Freely, who was a guest lecturer, and who introduced me to the British Centre for Literary Translation and their emerging translator mentorship. When I moved to the UK in 2013, I applied and was awarded the mentorship, which then propelled my career.'
Nasreldin is currently translating two short books that she says she's very passionate about.
A Brawl in Jahannam is a novella by award-winning Libyan author Mohammed Alnaas, whose debut novel, Bread on Uncle Milad's Table, won the 2022 International Prize for Arabic Fiction. It's a satiric retelling of events that the narrator claims took place in the 1990s in a small Libyan village named Jahannam, which literally translates to hell.
The other book is Side Entrance to the House by Omani writer Amal Alsaeedi, in which the author's ancestral house serves as a vehicle to unearth memories and images of childhood and youth, triggering philosophical reflections on her troubled relationships with her husband, parents and siblings.
"These books represent a new generation taking bold literary risks, reinterpreting classical Arabic styles," says Nasreldin.
But making a living as a translator is not easy, and many in the field are forced to find several sources of income, she adds.
"I split my time working as a writer, an editor and a translator," she says. 'Early on in the day, Arab publishers who assume that a so-called native English speaker would have a stronger grasp over English than a translator who was raised bilingual, as I was.
"This isn't much of an issue now as demand for diversity has risen. But still, awards can be incredibly helpful in elevating the work of translators and cash prizes are welcome,' she adds with a smile.
"In the field of Arabic literature in translation, we only have a handful of prizes including the renowned Saif Ghobash Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary Translation and the newer Bait AlGhasham DarArab Translation Prize. Also, the ArabLit Short Story Prize is particularly impactful as it supports writers who may not have had the opportunity to publish book-length work.'
But the publishing industry as a whole is changing, albeit slowly.
"The work of translators are increasingly recognised, thanks to social media campaigns like the #namethetranslator, which seeks to ensure that translators are named alongside their work," Nasreldin says.
"There are dozens of excellent Arabic translators working in the field today. A group of us communicate regularly on mailing lists, where we discuss translation quandaries, share opportunities, celebrate successes and band together when there is a need to address a threat to our rights as creators – especially with the unregulated rise of mechanical translation and AI, having a supportive community matters.
"I think, we will see a rise in translations of Arabic literature from the Middle East and North Africa region as more translators are trained and gain confidence in an industry that had been relatively opaque previously," she adds.