Editora Tabla, the new Brazilian publishing house specialised in writers and titles from the Middle East and North Africa, will release two Arabic books this month.
The two books include Poem of the Arabs by the pre-Islamic poet Al-Shanfarā, translated by Michel Sleiman, and In the Presence of Absence, by the late Palestinian poet Mahmud Darwich, translated by Marco Calil.
Book releases by Tabla mostly feature Arab authors, but also Turkish and Iranian. Tabla works in fiction, poetry, novels and children’s books translated directly into Brazilian Portuguese, said Editorial director Laura di Pietro.
Laura, also the founder of publisher Roça Nova, said for a few years now, she has relied on the support of Michel Sleiman and Safa Jubran, both of whom are prominent Arabic to Portuguese translators.
“They really embraced the project and went all out with it. This is the outcome of collective, partnership work,” she added.
Laura was invited to join the 2011 Sharjah International Book Fair in the UAE, where Tabla began to have clarity on the need of this project.
“We met Arab publishers and got some good contacts. We received a grant and went to the fair again last year to sign contracts with multiple publishers,” she explained.
Tabla has also been taken under the wing of the renowned Brazilian-born Lebanese-descendant writer Milton Hatoum who has been helping Tabla and supporting this new project, said Laura.
A solid agenda is in place until 2024 although some releases have been pushed back until next year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Laura pointed out.
Ten titles are due out from July to December this year including three for children and seven for adults.
Source: Brazil-Arab News Agency
