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BAHRAINI author Dr Hasan Marhamah is offering readers across the world a deeper understanding of the kingdom by translating the island’s contemporary Arabic short stories into a 190-page book, reports Mai Al Khatib- Camille.
The University of Bahrain Emeritus of English and comparative literature professor had already reached the masses with his 2009 translated book Voices: An Annotated Anthology of Contemporary Poetry.
He aims to attract English speakers yet again with his recently published Voices II - Contemporary Bahraini Short Stories.
The 64-year-old, from Manama, said: “When I published my first book it was highly praised by the literary elite inside as well as outside the kingdom. Although it’s not the first book of Bahraini poetry in English, it is one of the most comprehensive anthologies. Most of the Bahraini poets, in particular, the younger ones, were delighted to see their poems translated into English.
“Some of my academic colleagues suggested that I should embark on translating Bahraini short stories into English. I felt it was an arduous task and required
a lot of time and energy. Luckily, at that time, I retired from my academic work and had the time to work on my next project.
“To my knowledge, this is the first book of Bahraini short stories in English. I have done my best, as in my previous book, to convey with utmost care the Bahraini literary scene to English-speaking readers. Obviously, there are certain cultural and religious phrases which cannot be easily translated into English. However, in such cases I resorted to intuition and I hope I have been successful. The book could be special to those readers who seek some cultural and literary orientation about Bahrain and its literary heritage.”
The anthology, published by Lulu Enterprises Inc in the US, contains an introduction and 23 stories varying in themes and genres. It includes stories such as the early work of Mahmood Yousif otherwise known as The Blogfather, a highly influential Bahraini blogger and political activist. The book also features Ahmed Salman Kamal’s stories which were influenced by religious and moral principles, in particular the writings of the Egyptian philosopher Mustafa Lutfi el-Manfaluti.
Bahraini journalist Ali Sayyar also made Dr Marhamah’s list as he is considered one of the leading pioneers of Bahraini short stories along with Mohammed Abdul Malik.
Dr Marhamah said: “I began reading some of the short stories, especially ones by the pioneers Ali Sayaar and Mohammed Abdul Malik and I found them highly impressive and powerful. This provided me the impetus to carry on the project of translating Bahraini short stories into English.
“Ali Sayyar’s stories revolve around traditional themes, like divorce and unemployment. Abdul Malik introduced elements from great short story writers like Anton Chekhov, James Joyce and Earnest Hemingway. He combined the complexity of a character tinged with a pinch of humour.
“The juxtaposition of realism and humour could also be seen in the stories by writer Ahmed Al Hajeri. Irony and suspense were also added to the trend
of realism which can be seen in the stories of Abdul Qader Aqeel.”
This is Dr Marhamah’s fifth book and it’s priced at £7 (around BD4). It can be purchased from international online sites such as www.amazon.com or stores including The Bookcase Bahrain or Jashanmal Bookstores.
He also wrote She Who Brought Rock Flowers to Uruk in 2010, A Glossary of Contemporary Literary & Critical Terms in 2013 and is currently working on The Bright Field: the Poetry of the Priest Poet R. S. Thomas.
For details, email Dr Marhamah on hmarhama@ gmail.com
