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Nancy N. Roberts

ナンシー・N・ロバーツ

Nanshī N. Rōbātsu

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
1957-01-01 （Wichita, Kansas, United States）
Nationality
United States
Languages
English, Arabic
Residence History
Wichita, Kansas, United States (birth) → Lebanon (lived ~1 year) → Kuwait (lived ~5 years) → United States (returned, ~7 years) → Jordan (Amman, 1995–2015)

Career

Occupations
Arabic–English translator, editor, proofreader, English instructor
Active Years
1980-
Affiliations
Indiana University Bloomington, American University of Beirut, Kuwait University, Earlham College, Al al-Bayt University (Mafraq, Jordan), Federal Broadcasting Information Service (Jordan Bureau), Mitchell Translations
Influenced By
Ghada al-Samman, Salwa Bakr, Naguib Mahfouz, Ibrahim Nasrallah

Education

Western Kentucky University
Psychology and Religious Studies
Degree: B.A.
Period: 1975–1978
Year of Graduation: 1978
Country: United States
Indiana University Bloomington
Applied Linguistics (M.S.)
Degree: M.S.
Period: 1979–1981
Year of Graduation: 1981
Country: United States
Indiana University Bloomington
Arabic Language and Literature (M.A.)
Degree: M.A.
Period: 1991–1993
Year of Graduation: 1993
Country: United States

Awards

University of Arkansas Translation Award
1994
Work: Translation of Beirut '75
Organization: University of Arkansas
Result: 受賞
Banipal Prize (commendation / judges' recognition)
2008
Work: Translation of The Man from Bashmour
Organization: Banipal
Result: 審査員推薦（commendation）

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Beirut '75

1995 Novel

An English translation of Ghada al-Samman's work portraying urban life on the eve of the Lebanese civil war; a series of linked stories/novella.

war and everyday lifeurban experiencepersonal and social turmoil

The Man from Bashmour

2007 Novel

An English translation of Salwa Bakr's novel depicting lives and society in a provincial Egyptian setting.

community and memorysocial classfemale perspectives

Love in the Rain

Novel

One of Nancy Roberts' translations of Naguib Mahfouz, a human drama set against Egyptian society.

social changeindividual fate

Time of White Horses

Novel

A translation of Ibrahim Nasrallah's work, dealing with Palestinian/Arab historical consciousness and personal stories.

history and memorynationhood and identity

House of the Wolf

Novel

An English translation of Ezzat el Kamhawi's novel addressing social and personal conflicts.

social critiqueindividual isolation

Bibliography

  • Beirut '75 (translator of Ghada al-Samman)
  • Beirut Nightmares (translator of Ghada al-Samman)
  • The Night of the First Billion (translator of Ghada al-Samman)
  • Muntaha (translator of Hala El-Badry)
  • Time of White Horses (translator of Ibrahim Nasrallah)
  • Over the Bridge (translator of Mohamed el-Bisatie)
  • Love in the Rain (translator of Naguib Mahfouz)
  • The Mirage (translator of Naguib Mahfouz)
  • The Man from Bashmour (translator of Salwa Bakr)
  • House of the Wolf (translator of Ezzat el Kamhawi)
  • Translations of works on Islamic history, jurisprudence and Sufism

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Faithful yet readable translations that balance literal accuracy and idiomatic EnglishPrecision-focused approach for academic and religious texts
Recurring Motifs
relationships between society and the individual in the Middle Eastemphasis on female perspectives and experiences

Legacy

A translator who has introduced Middle Eastern authors and narratives to English-speaking readers. Recipient of the University of Arkansas Translation Award and recognized by the Banipal Prize, she has contributed to the accessibility and understanding of contemporary Arab literature in English.

Trivia

  • Born in Wichita, Kansas.
  • Lived in Amman, Jordan from 1995 to 2015.
  • Specializes in Arabic-to-English literary and scholarly translations and has translated many prominent Arab authors.