Being Shortlisted for the ArabLit Translation Prize

I have written fiction in English and Arabic (under different pen names), but I have also taken a deep dive into translation—turning Arabic stories into English prose—and it changed how I think about language.

In my interview with ArabLit, I said that translation made me aware of the merits and limitations of each language: Arabic has a power and resonance you can’t always render in English, and English has a precision and edge that Arabic sometimes hides. 

Working on these translations forced me to slow down, listen to the text, feel its rhythm, and accept that some things will never be “perfect” in another tongue. I learned that bilingualism isn’t just “saying it twice.” It’s living in between two codes—with the chance of insight, but also the risk of losing a piece of the soul. The process didn’t just enhance my novels—it reshaped the way I write them.

— Michael (a.k.a. Burnaby Hawkes)

The full interview can be read here: https://arablit.org/2021/10/14/2021-arablit-story-prize-shortlisted-translator-burnaby-hawkes-on-the-translingual-experience/