136:'s Centre for Arabic Studies Abroad (CASA) in the 1960s. After working in the Arabic world and as a translator for years, he completed a PhD in Arabic in 1981 at the
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2002). His 2004 translation was voted one of 50 outstanding translations in the last 50 years by the
British Society of Authors. His translation of Lebanese writer
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Davies said that when he translated the work of a living author, he made it his practice to call upon the author for advice. His work has been published by
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from the late 20th century to 2021. He translated at least 18 Arabic works into
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108:(6 April 1947 – 12 November 2021) was a British translator of Arabic fiction, historical and classical texts. Born in
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magazine in 2000. Subsequent translations included several well-known works of Arabic literature, including
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texts and noted in particular his "respect for colloquial Arabic." He worked in collaboration on the
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Davies began translating while working on a critical edition and lexicon of Yusuf al-Shirbini's
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rural culture. This is considered a valuable source for the period's colloquial
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He died from pancreatic cancer in London on 12 November 2021, at the age of 74.
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Davies worked for NGOs and funding institutions in a number of countries in the
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Humphrey Davies In
Conversation With André Naffis-Sahely Part II
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Davies' first published translation was a short story by
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Born in London on 6 April 1947, Davies studied Arabic at
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597:. Banipal Magazine of Modern Literature. Archived from
685:"2014 Best Translated Book Awards: Fiction Finalists"
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In Darfur: An
Account of the Sultanate and Its People
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416:A Field Guide to the Street Names of Central Cairo
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368:(joint runner-up for the Banipal Prize)
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343:Life Is More Beautiful Than Paradise
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562:. Al-Ahram Weekly. Archived from
504:I Was Born There, I Was Born Here
486:Independent Foreign Fiction Prize
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720:"The Humphrey Davies Interview"
683:Chad W. Post (April 14, 2014).
627:Lindsey, Ursula (11 Feb 2010).
629:"Crossing the language divide"
380:(both volumes) by Elias Khoury
183:Dictionary of Egyptian Arabic.
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278:Other translations include:
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710:"Never at a loss for words"
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372:As Though She Were Sleeping
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269:Words Without Borders
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765:Writers from London
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601:on 13 October 2014
423:Awards and honours
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230:ʿImārat Yaʿqūbīān,
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