Ahmed Naji

by Amanda Uhle

Katharine Halls won the 2024 Saif Ghobash Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary Translation for her work as translator of Ahmed Naji’s Rotten Evidence, published in 2023 by McSweeney’s (and currently available for 20 percent off in our store). Publishers Weekly called the book “a moving testament to the power of free expression,” and the Banipal judges called the translation “a brilliant feat” and “a masterclass.” We spoke to Ahmed and Katharine about their work.

– – –Jason Roeder’s Griefstrike is officially a finalist for the Thurber Prize for American Humor! Mourn like a winner and discover this uproarious book now.

AMANDA UHLE: Ahmed, what can you tell us about how this book began in your mind and how you wrote—the first time—in Arabic?…

Read the whole interview here : McSweeney’s Books: An Interview with Author Ahmed Naji and Translator Katharine Halls – McSweeney’s Internet Tendency