Patrons and the Translation of Arabic Fiction into English: Guilty Until Proven Otherwise

Abstract

Abstract-Translating contemporary Arabic fiction into English gained momentum after the Egyptian novelist, Naguib Mahfouz, won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1988. However, this activity and the ensuing translated output, have been considered the outcome of the negative hidden agendas adopted by the patrons who commission the translations. Indeed, these patrons have been branded as repressive agents that advocate orientalist views since the fiction they select for translation reinstates the stereotypical images of the Arabs, and hence fulfills the Anglo-Saxon readers' expectations and the patrons' financial aspirations. This paper attempts to look at the other side of the coin and considers the positive role patrons have played in translating contemporary Arabic fiction into English.