Boom in Arabic-English literary translation: A contextual analysis of geopolitics and patronage (2003-2020)

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Published: Jan 20, 2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.58256/d3y8z089

Keywords:

Arabic literature, corpus, geopolitics, patronage, translation.

Raidah Al-Ramadan

Yarmouk University

Bilal Sayaheen

Yarmouk University

Mona Malkawi

Yarmouk University

Abstract

This paper explores the boom in Arabic-English literary translation from 2003 to 2020. It hypothesizes that geopolitics and patronage have a major role in shaping the landscape of literary translation from Arabic, with geopolitics playing a more dominant role. The research is based on a corpus of 655 Arabic literary works translated into English in the period between 2003 and 2020, compiled from various online resources. The data is analyzed in terms of each country’s contribution and the timeline of the translations. A contextualization of these translations is then provided by discussing political events and patronage initiatives in relation to the translated works. The analysis reveals a strong correlation between the patterns of translation from Arabic into English and regional politics and patronage, suggesting that they have sparked a surge of interest in Arabic literature among English-speaking audiences.

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How to Cite

Al-Ramadan, R., Sayaheen, B., & Malkawi, M. (2025). Boom in Arabic-English literary translation: A contextual analysis of geopolitics and patronage (2003-2020). Research Journal in Advanced Humanities, 6(1). https://doi.org/10.58256/d3y8z089

Issue

Vol. 6 No. 1 (2025)

Section

Literature, Linguistics & Criticism

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Author Biographies

Raidah Al-Ramadan, Yarmouk University

Assistant professor- department of translation

Bilal Sayaheen, Yarmouk University

Associate professor- Department of Translation

Mona Malkawi, Yarmouk University

Assistant professor- Department of Translation

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