Six grants have been awarded by the Sheikh Zayed Book Award for publications of translations of Arabic-language titles into English, German, French, Georgian, and Ukrainian, in collaboration with four international publishers.
These translation grants go to international publishers who are interested in translating SZBA-winning or shortlisted titles in the categories of Children’s Literature and Literature.
Three of the translated works are from the Award’s Children’s Literature category: 2017 winner ‘Hat-less’ by Kuwaiti author Lateefah Boti, translated into English by Nancy Roberts in collaboration with Darf Publishers; 2020 winner ‘Lilac Girl’ by Palestinian-American author Ibtisam Barakat, translated into German by Suleman Taufiq in collaboration with German publisher Sujet Verlag; and 2014 win-ner‘Thirty Poems for Children’ by Lebanese poet Jawdat Fakhreddine, translated into French by Leila Tahir and into English by Huda Fakhreddine, in collaboration with Bookland Press.
From the Literature category, the two translated titles are 2018 winner ‘Remorse Test’ by Syrian author Khalil Sweileh, translated into German by Suleman Taufiq in collaboration with Sujet Verlag as well as into Ukrainian by Oksana Prokhorovych at Nora-Druk Publishers, and 2015 winner ‘The Madmen of Bethlehem’ by Palestinian author Osama Alaysa, which was translated into Georgian by Darejan Garda-vadze in collaboration with Intelekti Publishing.
This programme was launched by the Sheikh Zayed Book Award in 2018 to promote and distribute Arabic literature around the world. It offers up to USD 19000 in funding.