A celebration of 25 years of Banipal Magazine translating and publishing contemporary Arab literature in English was held at the Irish Cultural Centre 5 Black’s Road, Hammersmith, London W6 9DT.
Open mic discussions were accompanied by readings from special guests: Egyptian poet Iman Mersal and Syrian poet Nouri Al-Jarrah. The programme covered fiction, poetry, videos and translations.
A remarkable number of works by Arab authors have been translated and showcased in the magazine. Special features have introduced writers from Morocco, Sudan, Yemen, Egypt, Emirates, Iraq, Tunisia, Jordan, Libya, Palestine, Syria and Algeria, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia. Each issue is themed and illustrated. Some of the magazine’s special features include portraits of, or interviews with, Naguib Mahfouz, Mahmoud Darwish, Adonis, Ghaeb T’uma Farman, Ghalib Halasa, Tahar Ben Jelloun.
While much of the Arab world is plunged into chaos with wars and devastation, sectarian divisions, repression and censorship, the Arab literary side of life remains essentially modernist, secular, progressive and enlightened, speaking out for the marginalised – and needing to be heard across the world.
Back issues of Banipal Magazine are available
Banipal Books
Closing the magazine means more time and resources can be spent focusing on building up an invaluable and unique book list of contemporary Arabic literature.
Curious readers and researchers can browse a selection of titles in the Banipal Books catalogue
In this, the eighteenth year of the Saif Ghobash Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary Translation, there are 20 entries from 11 different publishers comprising 18 novels, one poetry collection, and one work that is a collection of testimonies
Luke Leafgren received the 2023 Saif Ghobash Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary Translation for his translation of Mister N by Najwa Barakat, published by And Other Stories
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