Can translating a book be a feminist act? Kim Chakanetsa brings together two female translators from Egypt and the UK who explain why it matters that more women, and particularly more feminists, are translating texts into Arabic and English.
Emily Wilson is the first woman to translate Homer's The Odyssey into English. She says she often found sexist language in previous translations by men which did not actually exist in the original ancient Greek. She believes that all translators have an agenda, but calling a translation feminist can marginalise it. Emily is currently Professor of Classics at the University of Pennsylvania.
Hala Kamal is a Professor of English and Gender Studies at Cairo University. She teaches on the topic of 'feminist translation' and translates classic feminist texts into Arabic so that students who cannot speak English can still access feminist theory. She thinks feminist voices have been lost and neglected, so she considers translating feminist writers as a form of activism.
(L) Hala Kamal (credit: Sharif Sidahmed) (R) Emily Wilson (credit: Kyle Cassidy)