Day: March 30, 2016

This Spring, The Common will be making a major contribution to Arabic literature in English translation:

The Amherst-based magazine, edited by Jennifer Acker, will soon be publishing a special issue “Tajdeed: Contemporary Arabic Stories in Translation.”

A launch event — coupled with The Common’s annual fundraiser — is scheduled for May 19 at NYU; you can sign up now online.

The event will feature “a night of drinks, canapés, and performed readings from The Common‘s special issue,” which will bring out excellent new translations of new work 25 authors from 15 countries across the Middle East.”

The issue was co-edited by Acker and Jordanian short-story writer Hisham Bustani, with an eye not just to bringing new Arabic literature into translation, but into joyous, sharp translation — with work by some of the best emerging Arabic-English translators. This collection is not for Arabists, but for English-language fictionophiles.

The “Tajdeed” (Renewal)…