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Humphrey T. Davies

ハンフリー・T・デイヴィス

Hanfurī T. Deivizu

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1947-04-06 （London, England）
Died
2021-11-12 （London, England） age 74
Nationality
British
Languages
English, Arabic (as source language)
Residence History
London (birthplace) → Cairo (long-term residence)

Career

Occupations
Translator, NGO worker
Active Years
1960-2021
Affiliations
Save the Children (worked in Palestine), Ford Foundation (worked in Sudan)

Education

University of Cambridge
Arabic
Period: 1960年代（学部）
Country: United Kingdom
Studied Arabic at undergraduate level
American University in Cairo (CASA)
Arabic studies
Period: 1960年代（研修）
Country: Egypt
Attended the Centre for Arabic Studies Abroad (CASA)
University of California, Berkeley
Arabic
Degree: PhD
Period: ～1981
Year of Graduation: 1981
Country: United States
Completed a PhD in Arabic in 1981

Awards

Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary Translation
2006
Work: Gate of the Sun by Elias Khoury
Organization: Banipal (Banipal magazine)
Result: winner
English PEN 'Writers in Translation' award
2006
Work: Gate of the Sun by Elias Khoury
Organization: English PEN
Result: winner
Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary Translation
2010
Work: Yalo by Elias Khoury
Organization: Banipal (Banipal magazine)
Result: winner
Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary Translation
2010
Work: Sunset Oasis by Bahaa Taher
Organization: Banipal (Banipal magazine)
Result: runner-up
Independent Foreign Fiction Prize (longlisted)
2010
Work: Yalo by Elias Khoury
Organization: Independent
Result: longlisted
Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary Translation
2012
Work: I Was Born There, I Was Born Here by Mourid Barghouti
Organization: Banipal (Banipal magazine)
Result: runner-up
Best Translated Book Award (shortlist)
2014
Work: Leg Over Leg Vol. 1 by Ahmad Faris al-Shidyaq
Organization: Best Translated Book Award
Result: shortlist

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

The Yacoubian Building

2002 Novel

A multi-voiced novel depicting urban life, class and power in Egypt. Davies translated the work from Arabic into English.

urban lifepower and corruptionsocial class
Adaptations
  • [Film] The Yacoubian Building / Marwan Hamed (2006)

Gate of the Sun

Novel

A major work by Elias Khoury dealing with memory, history and exile. Davies's English translation received critical acclaim and awards.

memoryexilehistory

Yalo

Novel

A novel by Elias Khoury. Davies's English edition was published in the UK and won the Banipal Prize.

memoryidentity

Sunset Oasis

Novel

A historical novel by Bahaa Taher. Davies's English translation was a runner-up for the Banipal Prize.

historyindividual fate

Midaq Alley

1947 Novel

One of Naguib Mahfouz's notable works, set in a Cairo alley and depicting the lives of its residents. Davies translated it into English.

everyday lifesocial change

Pyramid Texts

Literary translation / short stories

Involves works by Gamal al-Ghitani and others. Davies worked across classical and modern texts in his translations.

historyfolklore

Being Abbas el Abd

Novel / short fiction

A work by Ahmed Alaidy. One of the translations introducing contemporary Egyptian literature to English readers.

contemporary societyindividual

Bibliography

  • The Yacoubian Building — translated (Alaa Al Aswany, trans.)
  • Gate of the Sun — translated (Elias Khoury, trans.)
  • Yalo — translated (Elias Khoury, trans.)
  • Sunset Oasis — translated (Bahaa Taher, trans.)
  • Midaq Alley — translated (Naguib Mahfouz, trans.)
  • Leg Over Leg Vol. 1 — translated (Ahmad Faris al-Shidyaq, trans.)
  • Pyramid Texts — translated (Gamal al-Ghitani, trans.)
  • Being Abbas el Abd — translated (Ahmed Alaidy, trans.)

Adaptations

  • Film adaptation of The Yacoubian Building (2006, dir. Marwan Hamed)

Translations of Works

  • English translations by Humphrey Davies (multiple works)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
A style emphasizing fidelity to the original textRespectful handling of colloquial Arabic in translation
Recurring Motifs
memory and exilecity and everyday lifethe relationship between history and individuals

Health

  • pancreatic cancer
    2021（罹患および死去）
    Died of pancreatic cancer in 2021; led to the end of his active work.

Legacy

Humphrey Davies was a highly regarded translator of Arabic literature, translating numerous major works into English and winning the Banipal Prize multiple times. He respected colloquial Arabic and made significant contributions to introducing modern Arab literature to English-speaking readers.

Quotes

  • I have respect for colloquial Arabic.
    Source: Egyptian Independent (interview) (2010)

Trivia

  • Two-time winner of the Banipal Prize (2006, 2010, etc.).
  • Collaborated on El-Said Badawi's Dictionary of Egyptian Arabic.
  • Made a practice of consulting living authors when translating their works.
  • Died of pancreatic cancer in 2021.