Kalima or “word” in Arabic, was created to increase the number and choice of books available to readers in Arabic. This non-profit initiative also aims to revive translation in the Arab World. The initiative, launched in late 2007, is funded through a grant from the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage. However, Kalima will not rely on government funds in the long term and aims to become self-funding within two years.
“Kalima means business when it comes to filling gaps in the Arabic library and we are working with publishers from all over the world to achieve that goal. We have already completed nine titles despite only launching late last year,” said Karim Nagy, CEO, Kalima. “It is great that publishers are now recognizing the opportunities in the Arab world. Organizations like Kalima can help the international publishing industry access this largely untapped market of 300 million Arabic speakers.”
At its launch, Kalima announced a list of the first 100 titles to be translated. Review it at www.kalima.ae. About two-thirds of the list is Contemporary, a quarter Modern, with the remainder Classic. More than half of the titles on the list will be translated from English, but other language translations are also supported, including seven titles that will be translated from Ancient Greek to Arabic.
The first nine titles available in Arabic are: “Il Segno” by Umberto Eco; “The Halo Effect,” by Phil Rosenzweig; “The Future of Human Nature,” by Jurgen Habermas; “A Briefer History of Time,” by Stephen Hawking; “Kafka on the Shore,” by Haruki Murakami; “The Arab Roots of Capitalism,” by Gene Heck; “The Clash within Civilizations,” by Dieter Senghaas; “The Age of Turbulence,” by Allan Greenspan; and “The Fundamentals of Language,” by Roman Jakobson and Moris Halle.
The next Kalima titles to be published are: “The Pickup” by Nadine Gordimer; “Islamic Science and the Making of the European Renaissance,” by George Saliba; “The Great Code,” by Northrop Frye; “Rasmus and the Vagabond,” by Astrid Lindgren; “The Double Helix,” by James Watson; and “The Looming Tower,” by Lawrence Wright.
Kalima has tried to investigate to ensure that no high quality Arabic translations exist of the works they are funding. They ask to be made aware if “lost” quality translations of any of the 100 titles on their list are discovered. Kalima is not a publisher, but it has selected 20 partner publishers across the Arab world. These publishers will bid for the right to publish the books on Kalima’s “100 list.” Distribution of the titles will be through two main channels — Kalima and its publishers. Kalima will distribute books free of charge to schools, libraries and cultural organizations. The organization is also planning that some of the books will be sold online.