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Edition 2 (2007) Nominee
Marilyn Louise Booth
マリリン・ルイーズ・ブース
Marilyn Louise Booth
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1955-02-24
- Died
- null
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English, Arabic
- Residence History
- United States (Harvard University, Brown University, University of Illinois) → Egypt (American University in Cairo) → United Kingdom (Oxford, Edinburgh)
Career
- Occupations
- scholar, translator, author
- Active Years
- 1980-
- Affiliations
- University of Oxford (Magdalen College), University of Edinburgh (Iraq Chair of Arabic and Islamic Studies), Brown University, American University in Cairo, University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign (former director, Center for South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harvard University | Undergraduate | Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations (est.) | B.A. (summa cum laude) | 1974–1978 | United States |
| St Antony's College, University of Oxford | Graduate Studies | Arabic Literature and Middle Eastern History | D.Phil. | 1981–1985 | United Kingdom |
Harvard University
Undergraduate
/ Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations (est.)
Degree:
B.A. (summa cum laude)
Period:
1974–1978
Year of Graduation:
1978
Country:
United States
Graduated summa cum laude in 1978. First female winner of the Wendell Scholarship.
St Antony's College, University of Oxford
Graduate Studies
/ Arabic Literature and Middle Eastern History
Degree:
D.Phil.
Period:
1981–1985
Year of Graduation:
1985
Country:
United Kingdom
Doctoral studies undertaken with a Marshall Fellowship.
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Man Booker International Prize | Celestial Bodies (translation of Jokha al‑Harthi) | — | The Booker Prizes | winner |
| 1995 | Arkansas Arabic Translation Award | Points of the Compass (translation of Sahar Tawfiq) | — | Arkansas Arabic Translation Award | winner |
| 2007 | Banipal Prize | Thieves in Retirement (translation of Hamdi Abu Golayyel) | — | Banipal Trust for Arab Literature | runner-up |
Man Booker International Prize
2019
Work:
Celestial Bodies (translation of Jokha al‑Harthi)
Organization:
The Booker Prizes
Result:
winner
Arkansas Arabic Translation Award
1995
Work:
Points of the Compass (translation of Sahar Tawfiq)
Organization:
Arkansas Arabic Translation Award
Result:
winner
Banipal Prize
2007
Work:
Thieves in Retirement (translation of Hamdi Abu Golayyel)
Organization:
Banipal Trust for Arab Literature
Result:
runner-up
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Bayram al‑Tunisi’s Egypt: Social Criticism and Narrative Strategies
1990 scholarshipA scholarly study analyzing the works of the Egyptian poet Bayram al‑Tunisi and their social context.
Egyptian literaturesocial criticismnarrative strategies
May Her Likes Be Multiplied: Biography and Gender Politics in Egypt
2001 scholarshipA study exploring biography and gender politics in Egypt.
biographygender studiesmodern Egypt
Translations
- Translated into Arabic (as Shahirat al-nisa’)
Classes of Ladies of Cloistered Spaces: Writing Feminist History through Biography in Fin‑de‑Siècle Egypt
2015 scholarshipAn attempt to write feminist history of fin‑de‑siècle Egypt through biography of women.
feminismbiographical historymodern history
Celestial Bodies (translation of Jokha al‑Harthi)
2018 translated novelAn English translation of Jokha al‑Harthi's novel, a family saga portraying social change in Oman.
family sagasocial changemodernization
Girls of Riyadh (original translator)
2005 translated novelBooth produced an original English translation of Rajaa Alsanea's bestseller; the final version prompted a dispute over author/publisher alterations.
contemporary Saudi literaturetranslation ethicswomen's perspectives
Bibliography
- Bayram al Tunisi’s Egypt: Social Criticism and Narrative Strategies (1990)
- May Her Likes Be Multiplied: Biography and Gender Politics in Egypt (2001)
- Classes of Ladies of Cloistered Spaces (2015)
- Translation: Celestial Bodies (Jokha al‑Harthi, English translation 2018)
- Translation: Girls of Riyadh (Rajaa Alsanea, original translator)
- Translations: Points of the Compass (Sahar Tawfiq) and others
Translations by Author
- Celestial Bodies by Jokha al‑Harthi (English translation)
- Girls of Riyadh by Rajaa Alsanea (English translation, original translator)
- Points of the Compass by Sahar Tawfiq (English translation)
- Other translations of works by Hoda Barakat, Nawal El Saadawi, etc.
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- scholarly and meticulous prosetranslation approach emphasizes reproducing original style and cultural nuancecritical and historical perspective in commentary
- Recurring Motifs
- women and gender historytranslation ethics and the role of the translatorsocial change in the modern Middle East
Legacy
Marilyn Booth is an important translator and scholar who has introduced Arabic literature to English‑language readers. Her English translation of Jokha al‑Harthi's Celestial Bodies brought her international recognition. She is also noted for work on translation ethics and gender history in modern Egypt.
Quotes
-
She described the final version as "inferior and infelicitous."
Source: Times Literary Supplement (Letter to the Editor), 2007 (2007)
Trivia
- Graduated summa cum laude from Harvard University in 1978.
- Received a D.Phil. from St Antony's College, Oxford in 1985 (Marshall Fellowship).
- Won the 2019 Man Booker International Prize for the translation of Celestial Bodies.
- Served as a judge for the Banipal Prize in 2008 and 2009.