Hamad Bin Khalifa University Press Translator Wins Third Prize in the Sheikh Hamad Award for Translation and International Understanding
Hamad Bin Khalifa University Press (HBKU Press) is proud to announce that translator, Kholoud Amr, won third prize in the category of translation from English into Arabic in this year’s edition of the Sheikh Hamad Award for Translation and International Understanding (SHTAIU) for her translation of the Arabic HBKU Press book, The Buried Giant, by 2017 Nobel Prize in Literature winner, Kazuo Ishiguro. Amr was presented the award by His Excellency Sheikh Thani Bin Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani during a ceremony honoring the winners of the fifth session of the SHTAIU which was held in Doha on December 8, 2019
“HBKU Press is committed to publishing high quality translations of notable literary works from around the world,” explains Bachar Chebaro, Executive Director of HBKU Press. “This award win further validates that translated publications from HBKU Press play an integral role in the cultural exchange of information and in cultural rapprochement.
“Amr’s work specifically in translating the work of a Nobel Laureate has helped to contribute to the building of cultural communication and coexistence and enhance the transfer of thought and knowledge between Arabic and English language readers.”
Amr previously translated Out of It (2011) by Selma Dabbagh into Arabic under the title of Gaza Under The Skinin 2015. In 2018, HBKU Press released Amr’s Arabic translation of Lilas Taha’s 2017 International Book Award winner in the category of Fiction-Multicultural, Bitter Almonds. Amr is currently translating An Orchestra of Minorities, written by the celebrated Nigerian writer, Chigozie Obioma. The book was shortlisted for the 2019 Man Booker Prize and Amr’s much anticipated translation into Arabic is forthcoming by HBKU Press.
“Translation for me is a journey of discovering wonders,” explains Amr. “I always choose to translate books that I have read and enjoyed and I work best along with the support of a team of people that I trust. HBKU Press has been great in these two aspects: they are always acquiring the Arabic translation rights to translate the best-selling and most notable literary works from around the world, which gives me such amazing works to choose from. And the editorial team is so wonderful to work with – so generous with their support to me as a translator. It is an honor to work with the HBKU Press team and this prestigious prize, which is a recognition of high quality work, belongs just as much to HBKU Press as it does to me.”
The Buried Giant begins as a couple set off across a troubled land of mist and rain in the hope of finding a son they have not seen in years. Sometimes savage, often intensely moving, The Buried Giant is about lost memories, love, revenge, and war.
Alex Preston, of The Guardian, raves: "The Buried Giant is Game of Thrones with a conscience, The Sword in the Stone for the age of the trauma industry, a beautiful, heartbreaking book about the duty to remember and the urge to forget."
The translated Arabic text was published by Hamad Bin Khalifa University Press in 2018.
“Amr’s growth as a translator is evident in The Buried Giant,” continues Chebaro. “She does not simply translate words from one language to another: she focusses on the content as a whole. The meaning of the original text is never lost in her translation; rather, it is enhanced so Arabic language readers can’t discern it from the original text. They will enjoy it just as much as they would the original English book. Amr is truly deserving of such an esteemed award.”
