Literary event brings rare Arabic literature to English readers

AMMAN — A desire to bring fresh Middle Eastern voices rarely encountered by English readers pushed Jordanian writer Hisham Bustani to join “The Common”, a young literary journal based at Massachusetts’ Amherst College.

In its latest issue, “The Common” published a special portfolio of Jordanian short stories in English translation, which were presented on Saturday at Fann Wa Chai in Jabal Lweibdeh.

“Jordan, like many smaller Arab countries, has long been assumed to be a literary backwater: it lacks the political and cultural weight and massive population of Egypt, the financial resources of the Gulf states and the glitter of Lebanon,” said Bustani, The Common’s Arabic fiction editor, adding “this issue of Jordanian literature celebrates some of the country’s best authors, showcasing a cross-section of varied styles, themes and generations.”

Presented to a Jordanian audience for the first time at the event, The Common’s Issue 15 includes work by prominent writers such as Ghalib Halasa, Mahmoud Al Rimawi, and Elias Farkouh; established but lesser-known writers such as Jamila Amaireh and Mufleh Al Odwan; and emerging writers Majidah Al Outum and Haifa’Abul-Nadi. 

“Many of these writers are appearing in English translation for the first time. Even Halasa, an influential cultural figure in the Arab world from the 1970s until his death-in-exile in 1989, can rarely be found translated into English,” Bustani pointed out, noting that the event aims at bringing “fresh Middle Eastern voices scarcely encountered in English to an American and broader readership and, in so doing, foster rich cross-cultural exchanges”.

Speaking at the event, editor-in-chief of The Common, Jennifer Acker said: “I am thrilled to continue working with Hisham to showcase the literary richness of contemporary Arabic authors and we are committed to making The Common a home for talented Middle Eastern writers little known in the US.”

In 2016, Bustani and Acker co-edited The Common’s special issue “Tajdeed” dedicated to contemporary Arabic fiction, which was “a step towards remedying the under-representation of Arabic literature in the US”, they agreed, stressing that “less than 1 per cent of all works in translation published in the US every year come from Arabic”.

Following a presentation of the new publication, Bustani read an excerpt from Ghaleb Halasa’s “The Slaves”, a tale of the unexpected revolt of enslaved workers against their Bedouin owners, before another reader took over to present Fairooz Tamimi’s “Operating Manual”.

The other seven authors included in the issue read their work to the public, covering topics ranging from human struggles and longing throughout Jordan’s 20th century, women’s contemplation of life, relationships and motherhood, and the exploration of lineage and identity, among others.

“The pieces were brilliantly rendered from Arabic into English by four award-winning female translators: Maia Tabet, Elisabeth Jaquette, Thoraya El Rayyes and Alice Guthrie,” Acker noted.

The Issue 15 will also be simultaneously published in its original Arabic format in renowned Egyptian literary weekly Akhbar Al Adab, according to Bustani, who highlighted “this cross-continental literary collaboration will further encompass all of The Common’s forthcoming Arabic portfolios in translation.”

The event also featured some of the sketches by Jordanian artist Alaa Tawalbeh included in the issue.