Thread by @sawadhussain

OKay I'm in!! Just have arrived to him talking about 'TAXI'. Wasn't expecting him to be giving this lecture from his couch! But a nice atmosphere all the same. He's saying some critics said it didn't 'deserve' to be translated

https://twitter.com/sawadhussain/status/1458487036835401731

He is now talking about how surveys show that parents read less to their children because the books are written in Fus7a. I'm just reporting here, not taking a stance!

Now talking about MADMEN of FREEDOM SQUARE by Hassan Blassim, 'an early venture' of Jonathan's.

Says Hassan doesn't hold Fus7a sacred, sometimes writing بدا for to begin instead of بدأ which used to infuriate Jonathan at first. But now he's more attuned to his style.

When Hassan announced on Facebook that he was going to write an entire novel in Iraqi colloquial, he received a wide range of responses, among which one said that 'Iraqi colloquial can't reflect real life.' Hassan and Jonathan strongly disagree with this.

Jonathan reveals he has translated THE SLEEPWALKERS (I missed the author) but that the publisher has been sitting on his translation for a couple of years. He wrote an introduction to his translation in 2010.

So it seems more than a couple of years!!

Jonathan asks who do translators serve? The culture of the source text or the target audience?

He says he somehow doubts Fus7a needs white saviours to survive.

He's coughing. I hope he can get some water.

J says that some of the best Arabic literature is being written today.

J says lexicography is improving, but until recently the same 19th century definitions were being recycled.

J says isn't the obvious approach to translation is how would the author write their book in English if they suddenly woke up one day bilingual.

Now the Q&A session!

J answers a q and says one of the major motivations for authors writing in MSA is probably to be able to market the book in a range of countries.

J answers that he doesn't reflect the different registers (MSA vs colloquial) in his translation. He says there is no way to do this.

J answers it's very adhoc how he gets projects, and no system at all. I don't see it as my mission to choose the very best and present it to the world, I choose what I like - J

J says he doesn't have time to read as widely as he would like. He hesitates to name authors who are innovative. He says ask MARCIA @mlynxqualey who has a wider vision of what's happening.

Q: Do you think some translations into English make some poorly written Arabic novels look good?
J: Eeeeeeeeh. There is a prob in the Arab World with editing, editors aren't properly paid. It's only a matter of money (meaning not getting), not that they aren't capable of doing so

He says if this happens it's probably bc the Arabic version hasn't been properly edited.

Sorry GTG, toddler is up.😭

I'm back! And this is still one. J says he asks a lot of questions, a LOT of questions. He says his record is THREE HUNDRED questions for one book. I have been told off more than once for asking questions. #xl8 This is both comforting to hear and upsetting.