Washington, Sept. 08th, 2008 (WAM)--The United Arab Emirates-based Kalima -an innovative cultural initiative whose mission is to translate more than 100 works of classic and contemporary titles each year into Arabic-today launched a programme inviting Americans to nominate works of US authors for translation.
The move aims at building understanding between the United States and Arab speakers, Americans are invited to nominate novels, short stories or poetry that reflect American dreams, opportunities and challenges or otherwise embody the "American spirit." The initiative coincides with Kalima's participation in the National Book Festival, an annual event on the National Mall, sponsored by the Library of Congress and hosted by First Lady Laura Bush. Kalima was founded last year by the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage, and is based on a simple premise: Most great works of world literature are currently not available in Arabic, making them inaccessible to most readers in the Arab world. Among last years translation selections were American authors William Faulkner, Alan Greenspan, Frank Herbert, and Thomas Pynchon. "Kalima is one of a set of coordinated cultural initiatives launched under the patronage of His Highness General Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces. It is part of Abu Dhabis vision to become a centre of learning, cross-cultural understanding, and the diffusion of knowledge throughout the region", said Dr. Ali bin Tamim, Kalima Chief Executive Officer"The initiative invokes a comparison to Bait Al Hikma, or House of Wisdom- a library and a translation centre established in the 9th century; this intellectual centre ignited learning and discovery in the Arab world which in turn became an essential factor in the making of the modern world. In that light, it is noteworthy to mention that the complete works of great American writers such as Nathaniel Hawthorne, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemmingway, and William Faulkner -are inaccessible to Arab readers," added Tamim. "These writers paint a vivid picture of the trials and triumphs of life in America, and by putting works like these into the hands of Arab readers, we are restoring ancient bridges between our two cultures," he added. Kalima seeks to widen access to global knowledge by funding the translation, publication, and distribution of quality titles from all genres from other languages into Arabic. Kalima also supports marketing and distribution initiatives by opening up new distribution channels and upgrading existing ones. The initiative supports and promotes the Arabic book industry on the international stage and invests in translation as a profession, to encourage more and better quality translators. Kalima will also become the first marketers of Arabic books on a major scale. A rigorous procedure is in place to ensure that annual selections are high-quality, include a mix of literature, natural and social sciences as well as other genres such as history, arts, and business books. Titles ultimately selected should add intellectual value to the Arab library. Works by US authors that are nominated during this programme will be considered for translation in 2009 and beyond.Copyright Emirates News Agency (WAM) 2008.
