Project of Translation from Arabic

The Project of Translation from Arabic (or PROTA) is an academic project initiated by Dr Salma Khadra Jayyusi in 1980 in order to translate, and publish, works of Arabic literature into the English language.[1][2][3][4] The stated goal of PROTA is "the dissemination of Arabic culture and literature abroad." The project had its genesis in the late 1970s when Columbia University Press invited Jayyusi to prepare a large anthology of modern Arabic literature. Funding came from the Iraqi Ministry of Information and Culture. Two major anthologies came out of this early endeavour: Modern Arabic Poetry (1987) and The Literature of Modern Arabia (1988).[5]

PROTA has published more than 30 titles since its inception.[6] Among these are anthologies of fiction, poetry and drama, as well as single-author books of poetry, short stories, novellas, and novels. In its first decade, PROTA published works by leading Arab authors such as Nizar Qabbani, Ghassan Kanafani, Emile Habîby, Sahar Khalîfah, Ibrâhîm Nasrallâh, Hannâ Mînah and Zayd Dammâj. In 1992, PROTA was joined by another Jayyusi initiative, the East-West Nexus. The Project has since grown from the effort of several academics to a loose network of numerous translators and advisers.[7]

Two PROTA academics, Salma Jayyusi and Roger Allen, were involved in the proceedings that preceded the awarding of the Nobel Prize in Literature to the Egyptian writer Naguib Mahfouz. A number of other prominent academics have played key roles in translating for the project, including Naomi Shihab Nye.[8]

Selected works translated by East-West Nexus/PROTA

A partial list of PROTA books:[9]

Further reading

See also

References

  1. "PROTA: The Project for the Translation of Arabic", an essay by Roger Allen (University of Pennsylvania) in the Middle East Studies Association Bulletin, December 1994
  2. Salma Jayyusi at 1000 PeaceWomen's official site. Accessed March 2, 2013.
  3. Arab Human Development Report 2005: Towards the Rise of Women in the Arab World, pg. 104. United Nations Development Programme, Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development and the Arab Gulf Programme for United Nations Development Organizations.
  4. Jane Eldrige Miller, Who's Who in Contemporary Women's Writing, pg. 156. London: Routledge, 2001. ISBN 0415159806
  5. Jayyusi, "The Arab Laureate," pg. 18. Taken from Naguib Mahfouz: From Regional Fame to Global Recognition, eds. Michael Beard and ʻAdnān Ḥaydar. Syracuse: Syracuse University Press, 1993. ISBN 0815625677
  6. Qasida Poetry in Islamic Asia and Africa, Volume 1: Classical Traditions & Modern Meanings, Introduction, pg. xxxi. Eds. Stefan Sperl and Christopher Shackle. Leiden: Brill Publishers, 1996. ISBN 9004104526
  7. Louis Werner, A Bridge of Books. Saudi Aramco World, January/February 1991 ed., pgs. 18-19.
  8. Richard E. Hishmeh, "The Burden of the Prophet," pg. 107. Taken from Arab Voices in Diaspora: Critical Perspectives on Anglophone Arab Literature. Ed. Layla Maleh. Amsterdam: Rodopi Publishers, 2009. ISBN 9789042027190
  9. Sakakini.org list of East-West Nexus/PROTA publications under Salma Khadra Jayyusi
  10. Modern Arabic Fiction at Columbia University Press' official site. Accessed March 2, 2013.
  11. Listing at JSTOR.
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