Qatari gala awards translations from Iranian literature

The 6th Sheikh Hamad Awards for Translation and International Understanding (SHATIU) in Qatar has honored some translations from Persian literature.

The organizers announced that ‘The Desert’ (Al-Sahra) by Hasan al-Sarraf, including articles by Iranian scholar Ali Shariati, won the first prize in the category of translation from Persian into Arabic.

The second prize went to ‘The Zaydiya in Iran’ (Al-Zaydiyah fi Iran), originally authored by Mohammad-Kazem Rahmati and translated by Mustafa Ahmad al-Bakkur.

‘A History of Persian Literature’ (Tarikh al-Adab al-Farisi), originally authored by Ahmad Tamimari and translated by Basil Ahmad Adnawi, as well as ‘From the History of Iranian Literature’ (Min Madi al-Adab al-Irani), written by Abdolhossein Zarrinkoub and translated by Sadiq Khursha, shared the third prize.

The category of translation from Arabic into Persian honored Sadeq Darabi for translation of ‘The Druze of Belgrade’ (Duruz Bilgrad) authored by Lebanese novelist Rabi Jaber and Amal Nabhani for translation of ‘Frankenstein in Baghdad’ (Frankshtayn fi Baghdad) by Iraqi writer Ahmed Saadawi.

Qatar launched the Sheikh Hamad Awards for Translation and International Understanding (SHATIU) in 2015.

The organizers said it has been established “to honor translators and acknowledge their role in strengthening the bonds of friendship and cooperation among people and nations of the world”.

“The award also aspires to inculcate a culture of knowledge and dialogue, promote Arab and Islamic culture, develop international understanding and encourage mature cross-cultural interaction between Arabic and other world languages through the medium of translation,” they added.

The total value of the gala’s award is $2,000,000, divided into three categories: translation prizes ($800,000), achievement prizes ($1,000,000), and prizes for international understanding ($200,000).

MG/AG