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Michael Cooperson

マイケル・クーパーソン

Michael Cooperson

Profile

Gender
Male
Nationality
United States
Languages
English, Arabic

Career

Occupations
scholar, translator, professor
Affiliations
UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles), Middlebury College Language Schools (Arabic), Stanford University

Awards

Sheikh Zayed Book Award
2021
Work: Impostures (Maqamat)
Category: 翻訳（アラビア語→英語）
Organization: Sheikh Zayed Book Award
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Classical Arabic Biography: The Heirs of the Prophets in the Age of al-Ma'mun

scholarship (Middle Eastern history / biography)

A scholarly study of classical Arabic biography, focusing on the heirs of the prophets and biographical traditions in the age of al-Ma'mun.

medieval Islamic historybiographical studiespower and religion

Al-Mamun (Makers Of The Muslim World)

biography / history

An overview of the life and rule of the Abbasid caliph al-Ma'mun, analyzing his policies and historical context.

caliphateIslamic political history

Impostures (translation of al-Hariri's Maqamat)

translation (classical literature)

An English translation of al-Hariri's Maqamat, aiming to render the work's rhetorical virtuosity and narrative techniques into contemporary English.

literary translationrhetorical devicesnarrative virtuosity

The Time-Travels of the Man Who Sold Pickles and Sweets (translation)

translation (modern novel)

An English translation of Khairy Shalaby's novel, intended to communicate the book's humor and social contexts to English-language readers.

modern Egyptian literaturesocial satire

Bibliography

  • Classical Arabic Biography: The Heirs of the Prophets in the Age of al-Ma'mun
  • Al-Mamun (Makers Of The Muslim World)
  • Impostures (translation of al-Hariri's Maqamat)
  • The Time-Travels of the Man Who Sold Pickles and Sweets (translation)
  • The Author and His Doubles (translation of Abdelfattah Kilito)
  • The Caliph's Heirs — Brothers at War: the Fall of Baghdad (translation of Jurji Zaydan)

Translations by Author

  • Impostures (translation of al-Hariri's Maqamat)
  • The Time-Travels of the Man Who Sold Pickles and Sweets (translation of Khairy Shalaby)
  • The Author and His Doubles (translation of Abdelfattah Kilito)
  • The Caliph's Heirs — Brothers at War: the Fall of Baghdad (translation of Jurji Zaydan)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Translation style that respects original rhetorical features while rendering them into clear EnglishAcademic writing marked by careful annotation and attention to primary sources
Recurring Motifs
medieval Islamic biographylanguage and rhetoriccultural transfer through translation

Legacy

A scholar-translator who has contributed to introducing Middle Eastern history and classical Arabic literature to English-speaking audiences. His English translation of Impostures earned international recognition and he is seen as a bridge between Arabic studies and translation scholarship.

Trivia

  • Professor of Arabic at UCLA.
  • Winner of the 2021 Sheikh Zayed Book Award (Translation category).