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Ahmed Saadawi and Banipal

Iraqi author Ahmed Saadawi salutes Banipal magazine

Our dear friend Ahmed Saadawi, author of the novel Frankenstein in Baghdad that is shortlisted for the Man Booker International Prize, has saluted Banipal magazine with this beautiful tribute, on the occasion of the magazine celebrating this year 20 years of publishing contemporary Arab authors in English translation.

'It's wonderful that an august specialist magazine such as Banipal has been active for all these years, providing an outstanding service that essentially has nothing to do with commerce or profit-making, but aims to build bridges between the Arab world and Europe through the English language.

"I’m proud that the first creative writings of mine to be translated into English appeared in the pages of Banipal magazine, and the magazine continues to offer texts by Iraqi creative artists who are my colleagues, and by a large group of other Arab writers from a variety of countries. This helps to promote knowledge of Arabic literature and, most importantly, illustrates the diversity that exists on the Arabic literary scene. Some of this literature can of course be found in the West, but not in the richness and variety that represent it most faithfully. Banipal magazine is trying to fill this gap as well as it can.

"On this occasion I congratulate my dear friend, Samuel Shimon, and his partner in this dynamic project, Margaret Obank, and wish them all the best in their work as they fulfil their noble mission through Banipal magazine."