As part of the Shubbak Literature Festival in London they held a panel on The Rise of Arabic Literature in English yesterday.
M. Lynx Qualey (of Arabic Literature (in English)) was one of the panelists, and she previewed the discussion with a piece asking Can Arabic literature ever be fully understood in English ? in The National.
The situation has certainly improved in recent years -- "it's almost something of a small stream" she writes, about the flow of translations in recent years. And she's right that "literature builds on literature", and as more (finally) becomes available to English-speaking readers, more will also more readily be understood and appreciated, with the Library of Arabic Literature invaluable in bringing foundational texts into English.
M. Lynx Qualey (of Arabic Literature (in English)) was one of the panelists, and she previewed the discussion with a piece asking Can Arabic literature ever be fully understood in English ? in The National.
The situation has certainly improved in recent years -- "it's almost something of a small stream" she writes, about the flow of translations in recent years. And she's right that "literature builds on literature", and as more (finally) becomes available to English-speaking readers, more will also more readily be understood and appreciated, with the Library of Arabic Literature invaluable in bringing foundational texts into English.