The Africa Institute, Global Studies University (GSU), Sharjah, has announced the awardees of the Global Africa Translation Fellowship for 2024. The awardees, in order of placement, are:
- Yarri Kamara
- Ibrahim Fawzy
- Balew Demissie
Yarri Kamara is a Sierra Leonean-Ugandan writer, translator and policy researcher. Her translation of Monique Ilboudo’s novel So Distant from My Life was shortlisted for the National Translation Award in Prose (USA) in 2023 and she recently co-edited the anthology Sahara: A thousand paths into the future (Sternberg Press). Her writing has appeared in Lolwe, Africa Is A Country, The Republic, African Arguments, Courrier International and Poda Poda Stories.
Ibrahim Fawzy is an Egyptian writer and literary translator working between Arabic and English. He holds a BA and MA in Comparative Literature from Fayoum University, Egypt, and is pursuing an MFA at Boston University. Fawzy’s translations have appeared in ArabLit Quarterly and Words Without Borders. During his fellowship, he will translate FutCity, a contemporary science fiction novel by Mauritanian author Ahmed Isselmou, which explores themes of immigration, technology, and identity.
Balew Demissie, a faculty member at Addis Ababa University, specialises in Ethiopian and African literature, theatre, film, and culture. With a Doctorate in Literature from Addis Ababa University, he will be translating the Amharic play Babylon Besalon into English.
The Global Africa Translation Fellowship was established to support the translation of essential African works into Arabic and English, fostering cross-cultural dialogue. Recipients will receive grants ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 and benefit from the Africa Institute’s resources and mentorship during their residency.
For more information on the award, kindly click here.
Congratulations to Kamara, Fawzy, and Demissie on this remarkable achievement!
Bakare Oluwatobiloba
I write to educate, motivate and define history with literature. Just being me!
