Humphrey T. Davies
Encyclopedia
Humphrey T. Davies is a leading translator of Arabic literature
into the English language and twice winner of the Banipal Prize. He studied Arabic at Cambridge University, obtaining a first class degree, and pursued further studies at the American University in Cairo
and at the University of California, Berkeley
, where he completed his PhD in 1981.
Davies' first published translation was a short story by Sayed Ragab, which appeared in Banipal magazine in 2000. Since then, he has translated several well-known works of Arabic literature, including Alaa Al-Aswany's international bestseller The Yacoubian Building
. Other translations include:
Davies has acknowledged his debt to the American University in Cairo in their commitment to translating contemporary Arabic fiction. Other outlets include Banipal magazine and the Words Without Borders
website. Davies has lived in Cairo
for the last 35 years.
Arabic literature
Arabic literature is the writing produced, both prose and poetry, by writers in the Arabic language. The Arabic word used for literature is adab which is derived from a meaning of etiquette, and implies politeness, culture and enrichment....
into the English language and twice winner of the Banipal Prize. He studied Arabic at Cambridge University, obtaining a first class degree, and pursued further studies at the American University in Cairo
American University in Cairo
The American University in Cairo is an independent, non-profit, apolitical, secular institution of higher learning located in Cairo, Egypt...
and at the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
, where he completed his PhD in 1981.
Davies' first published translation was a short story by Sayed Ragab, which appeared in Banipal magazine in 2000. Since then, he has translated several well-known works of Arabic literature, including Alaa Al-Aswany's international bestseller The Yacoubian Building
The Yacoubian Building
The Yacoubian Building is a novel by Egyptian author Alaa-Al-Aswany. The book was made into a film of the same name in 2006 and into a TV series in 2007....
. Other translations include:
- Thebes at WarThebes at WarThebes at War is an early novel by the Egyptian writer Naguib Mahfouz. It was originally published in Arabic in 1944. An English translation by Humphrey Davies appeared in 2003. The novel is one of several that Mahfouz wrote at the beginning of his career, with Pharaonic Egypt as their setting...
, a novel by Naguib MahfouzNaguib MahfouzNaguib Mahfouz was an Egyptian writer who won the 1988 Nobel Prize for Literature. He is regarded as one of the first contemporary writers of Arabic literature, along with Tawfiq el-Hakim, to explore themes of existentialism. He published over 50 novels, over 350 short stories, dozens of movie... - The Yacoubian BuildingThe Yacoubian BuildingThe Yacoubian Building is a novel by Egyptian author Alaa-Al-Aswany. The book was made into a film of the same name in 2006 and into a TV series in 2007....
, a novel by Alaa Al-Aswany - Friendly FireFriendly FireFriendly fire is a military term defined as weapons fire from allied or friendly forces, as opposed to fire coming from enemy forces or enemy fire.Friendly Fire may also refer to:-Books:* Friendly Fire, a book written by Bob Black...
, a collection of short stories by Alaa Al-Aswany - Being Abbas el Abd by Ahmed AlaidyAhmed AlaidyAhmed Alaidy, أحمد العايدي , is an Egyptian novelist, born on December 24, 1974. He is the author of the novel Being Abbas El Abd , , أن تكون عباس العبد . He studied marketing at Cairo University, and has worked as a scriptwriter on quiz shows and for the cinema, and as a writer of satirical...
- Pyramid TextsPyramid TextsThe Pyramid Texts are a collection of ancient Egyptian religious texts from the time of the Old Kingdom. The pyramid texts are possibly the oldest known religious texts in the world. Written in Old Egyptian, the pyramid texts were carved on the walls and sarcophagi of the pyramids at Saqqara during...
by Gamal al-GhitaniGamal Al-GhitaniGamal el-Ghitani, is an Egyptian author of historical and political novels and cultural and political commentaries and was the editor-in-chief of the literary periodical Akhbar Al-Adab till 2011.-Biography:... - Black MagicBlack magicBlack magic is the type of magic that draws on assumed malevolent powers or is used with the intention to kill, steal, injure, cause misfortune or destruction, or for personal gain without regard to harmful consequences. As a term, "black magic" is normally used by those that do not approve of its...
by Hamdy el-Gazzar - Tales of Dayrut by Mohamed Mustagab
- Life Is More Beautiful Than Paradise by Khaled al-Berry
- The Gate of the Sun, a novel by Elias Khoury (winner of the inaugural Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary Translation)
- YaloYaloYalo was a Palestinian Arab village located 13 kilometres southeast of Ramla. Identified by Edward Robinson as the ancient Canaanite city of Aijalon, after the 1948 Arab-Israeli war, Jordan formally annexed Yalo along with the rest of the West Bank...
, a novel by Elias Khoury (winner of the Banipal Prize) - Sunset Oasis, a novel by Bahaa TaherBahaa TaherBahaa Taher , sometimes transliterated as Bahaa Tahir, Baha Taher, or Baha Tahir, is an Egyptian novelist who writes in Arabic. He was awarded the inaugural International Prize for Arabic Fiction in 2008.-Life:...
(joint runner-up for the Banipal Prize) - As Though She Were Sleeping by Elias Khoury
- Midaqq Alley, a novel by Naguib Mahfouz
Davies has acknowledged his debt to the American University in Cairo in their commitment to translating contemporary Arabic fiction. Other outlets include Banipal magazine and the Words Without Borders
Words Without Borders
Words Without Borders is an international magazine opened to international exchange through translation, publication, and promotion of the world’s best writing and authors who are not easily accessible to English-speaking readers....
website. Davies has lived in Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
for the last 35 years.