Two acclaimed literary translators, Marilyn Booth and Nariman Youssef, will present and discuss their different English translations of a short piece of contemporary Arabic women’s writing which have been specially commissioned for the festival.

They will compare their choices and explain the reasons for their decisions. In this event, the translators will shed light on what is involved when you approach the translation of women’s literature as a feminist act.

Marilyn Booth and Nariman Youssef have both published translations of Arabic women’s writing. Marilyn’s translations include Jokha Alharthi’s Celestial Bodies, which won the Man Booker International Prize 2019, and Nariman’s translations include Inaam Kachachi’s The American Granddaughter and Donia Kamal’s Cigarette Number Seven.

Come along for a glimpse into the creative processes of translation – no knowledge of Arabic necessary.

Chaired by Catherine Boyle.

This event is funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and is part of the ‘Feminist Translation Network’ project based at the University of Birmingham.

This event will be live streamed for hybrid viewing.