Arabic Literature Expands Global Reach with New Translation Deals at Frankfurt Book Fair

Arabic literature is reaching new audiences in Brazil, India, and North Macedonia through a series of translation and co-publishing agreements signed at the Frankfurt Book Fair. The Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre announced 14 projects spanning seven languages, collaborating with 10 publishing and cultural partners to mark the first anniversary of the Kalima to the World initiative.

Launched at the previous year's fair, the programme supports the international translation and publication of Emirati and Arab books. The new projects encompass fiction, children's literature, history, heritage, and social subjects, with forthcoming editions in Portuguese, Macedonian, Hindi, Urdu, Greek, Spanish, and English.

North Macedonian publishing house Bata Press, which has previously published works by Egyptian Nobel laureate Naguib Mahfouz and other contemporary Arab authors, is preparing to release an Emirati novel detailing life in the UAE prior to its oil-driven development. Filip Batkoski of Bata Press highlighted the cultural ties between North Macedonia and the Arab world, noting their shared history under the Ottoman Empire.

“We have a lot of shared cultural heritage between the Arab world and North Macedonia,” Batkoski said. “The Ottoman Empire had a huge impact from the Arabic world, and we have many things in common.”

Additional projects involve Hindi and Urdu translations through partnerships with India's National Book Trust and Pakistan's Book Corner and National Book Foundation, alongside Greek publishers Kaktos and Vakxikon.

To further extend this global reach, a separate agreement was signed at the fair between the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre and the Arab Publishers Association. Mohamed Rashad, president of the association, explained that the partnership aims to shift the long-standing focus of translating foreign works into Arabic and instead share the rich heritage and civilisation of the Arab world with international readers.

A specialist committee examined more than 100 nominated titles to curate a catalogue designed to help international publishers discover Arab authors, backed by funding and translation support from the centre.

Brazilian publisher Leonardo Garzaro of Editora Rua do Sabao emphasized that literature helps dismantle monolithic views of the region. Having previously published works such as Iman Mersal's In the Footsteps of Enayat Al-Zayyat, Garzaro stressed the importance of reliability and strong relationships in international publishing partnerships.

Saeed Al Tunaiji, executive director of the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre, noted the growing global appetite for Arabic culture and young Emirati writers, stating that readers across diverse language communities are increasingly eager to explore Arabic literature.