Internationally acclaimed Egyptian writer Bahaa Taher is currently in England celebrating the release of the English translation of his novel, “Sunset Oasis.
The current bestseller, “Oasis is the recipient of the first International Prize for Arabic Fiction, known as the Arabic Booker Prize.
The book was translated by Humphrey Davies, the first prize winner of the annual Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary Translation in 2006. Davie has translated several acclaimed Arabic novels, including Alaa Al-Aswany’s “The Yacoubian Building and Naguib Mahfouz’s “Thebes at War.
“Sunset Oasis is published by Sceptre, the literary imprint of Hodder and Stoughton publishing house. Davies’s translation was also released in Canada by McClelland and Stewart publishing house.
According to Al-Shorouk, the daily newspaper of Taher’s publishing house Dar Al Shorouk, the forward note of the book boasts quotes from literary figures such as English writer Margaret Drabble, The Independent’s culture editor, Brandon Robshaw, and Michael Holroyd, editor at the Guardian UK.
“Sunset Oasis, Taher’s sixth novel, will also be translated into a number of other languages, including French, German, Greek, Romanian and Bosnian. “Oasis is Taher’s fourth translated novel after “Aunt Saffiya and the Monastery, “Love in Exile and “As Doha Said.
Born in 1935 in Cairo, Taher graduated from Cairo University’s faculty of literature in 1956. He then embarked on a career in broadcasting alongside writing.
In 1975, during Sadat’s attempt to wipe out any traces of communism left over from Nasser’s era, Taher was blacklisted and eventually left Egypt in 1976. He worked as a freelance translator, trotting the globe for a number of years until he settled in Geneva in 1981.
Taher spent three years writing “Sunset Oasis.
“I predicted it would be an important novel that would grab attention, but not to the extent that it would win international prizes, he said.
Although the novel is set shortly after the Orabi revolution, several themes and characters bear a close resemblance to present day Egypt. “Any writer cannot escape or detach completely from the time they are living in, he said.
“Sunset Oasis stands as an accumulation of a lifetime of tactfully exploring human nature and the distinctive elements that make up the Egyptian character.
Although critics have praised “Oasis for shedding a new light on the ever-present relationship between the East and the West, Taher has continuously distanced himself from these claims.
“I have said this 100 times before, I never thought about the whole East and West issue. These are fictional characters – one of which happened to be from the East and the other from the West – and none of them is representing their race or country or culture, he said.
“Whoever knows me well enough knows that I never generalize, so a western character in any novel doesn’t symbolize the West by any means, he said.
Taher is heading to Scotland next to participate in the Edinburgh International Book Festival, one of the largest book fairs in the world. He will be joined by revered Lebanese author Elias Khoury who will be giving a reading of “Sunset Oasis while Taher will give a reading of Khoury’s novel, “Yalo.
