The biennial Sarah Maguire Prize for Poetry in Translation has been awarded to the poetry collection Exhausted on the Cross, written by Palestinian poet Najwan Darwish and translated by Egyptian-American editor, writer and scholar, Kareem James Abu-Zeid.
Commenting on the work, Rosalind Harvey, chairwoman of judges, says: “In its direct, stripped-back lines, the collection demonstrates both the limits and the necessity of language, inviting us to ask, together, how we can move through and beyond suffering.”
Meanwhile, Abu-Zeid says the prize, named after poet Maguire, who was “a champion of international poetry”, was a huge honour.
“Najwan and I both poured an immense amount of time and creative energy into Exhausted on the Cross, as did the whole team at NYRB Poets, and it is very rewarding to be recognised for our work by such an esteemed panel of judges.”
Exhausted on the Cross was selected from a shortlist of six books which included poets from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Korea, Mauritius, Mexico and Syria. Darwish and Abu-Zeid, who have been working together for 13 years, will share their winnings of £3,000 ($3,460).
Abu-Zeid is no stranger to accolades, having received both the 2017 PEN Centre USA Translation Prize and the 2018 National Endowment for the Arts translation grant.
However, having his translation of Najwan Darwish’s Exhausted On the Cross shortlisted for four awards in two countries is unprecedented.
“I’ve received recognition for my translations before, but this is the first time I’ve had four different prizes — three in the US and one in the UK — acknowledge a single book before in some way. It’s great for the book, which of course makes me very happy,” says Abu-Zeid.
Darwish, a Palestinian writer who lives between Haifa and his birthplace of Jerusalem, has been described by the New York Review of Books as “one of the foremost contemporary Arab poets”.
When selecting the Exhausted on the Cross for its shortlist, the 2022 National Translation Award judges described Darwish’s second volume of poetry as “poignant, raw, unflinching, and deeply humane, infusing the sorrow and suffering of occupation and the human condition with a startling lyricism”.
They added: “Kareem James Abu-Zeid’s unforgettable translation in its stark, clean, yet melodic register, invites us into the complexity of Darwish’s poetry, the suppleness of his Arabic, and the uncompromising vision of resistance in the face of oppression that beats at the heart of this marvellous book.”
Abu-Zeid is a long-time admirer of Darwish’s writing, having spent more than a decade translating his work. “Honestly, I love all of Najwan’s work,” Abu-Zeid tells The National. “I feel that his poetry keeps getting better and better.
“His work resonates both spiritually and politically with me. There’s a variety of themes and styles, and also of tone, so that I’m always learning something new.”
The translator says he appreciates the nuanced ways in which history and politics appear in Darwish’s work.
“Things are almost never black and white in his poetry, even though it never shies away from forcefully calling out injustice. And although he’s very much a Palestinian poet, he’s completely against all forms of nationalism.”
Despite focusing on events and issues that are specific to Palestine, Abu-Zeid says that there is a “universal” feel, which seems to transcend time and space.
Amid Darwish’s eight published books, translated into more than 20 languages, Abu-Zeid believes this particular strand stands out the most in Exhausted on the Cross.
“Several of Najwan’s collections are more anchored in a specific place and time. He has one collection that arose from an extended period of time he spent in London; and another that is centred on the city of Akka [Acre]; and another that is anchored in Granada.
“Haifa does emerge repeatedly in Exhausted on the Cross, but there’s a lot more travelling across space and time in this book — present-day Gaza, medieval Baghdad, Samarkand, Nepal, Aswan and so on — the geography and epoch are constantly slipping.”
One of the poems included in the collection, My Defeated Banner, reads: “If I could come back, I wouldn’t come under any other banner / I’d still embrace you with two severed hands / I don’t want wings in paradise, I just want your graves by the river / I want eternity at the breakfast table with the bread and oil / I want you — earth, my defeated banner.”
Acclaimed Chilean poet Raul Zurita describes the poem “in its devastating beauty”, not just as one of the peak moments of Darwish’s poetry, but “the writing of our time”.
Zurita says: “Expelled from their ancestral land, permanently besieged and persecuted, women who have lost everything — their houses, their neighbourhoods, their children — make present to … the reader that in this land of victims and perpetrators, displaced and disappeared, all the rest of us are survivors.
“Exhausted … on a cross made of rubble and death, of love and shame, we glimpse the limits of an immortality we cannot escape, an immortality that condemns us to death. Yet by reading this poetry one can come to love that condemnation and thus love the whole earth — our defeated banner.”
Exhausted on the Cross is Darwish’s second collection to appear in English after his book, Nothing More to Lose, was also translated into English by Abu-Zeid.
That earlier collection describes events such as the 2008 Israeli air raids on Gaza with intensity, “The earth is three nails / and mercy a hammer: / Strike, Lord / Strike with the planes.”
However, his newer collection merges this with what Abu-Zeid calls “a certain weariness of spirit — the tedium of an endless occupation, but also the suffering inherent in the human condition itself”.
“There is no quick crucifixion any more,” says Abu-Zeid, “and certainly no resurrection in glory on the third day.”
The works ebb and flow with the tides of a uniquely Palestinian experience of humanity; carried upwards by waves of hope, before crashing into the inevitability of despair.
“The ones hanging / are tired, / so bring us down / and give us some rest,” begins the titular poem, only to later descend into “Lord, / sharpen your knife / and give your sacrifice its rest.”
Abu-Zeid says Darwish’s work draws upon a broad array of traditions, including pre-Islamic poetry, the music of Umm Kulthum, contemporary Iranian cinema, classical and modern Chinese poetry, art history and Latin American literature, among others.
“Unlike most of the authors I’ve translated, we work quite closely together,” Abu-Zeid says.
On their winning formula, he says: “Our guiding criteria with the translations is almost always, ‘Does it work well as poetry in English?’ in addition, of course, to accurately conveying the meanings of the Arabic.”
Abu-Zeid attributes his success to a “holistic” approach to translation. “I’ve seen so many translations of great poetry that translate all the words correctly, without an eye to the overall context, and the result is almost nonsensical.
“We could say that a poem produces a set of effects: semantic, sonic, emotional, spiritual. The literary translation’s job is to attempt to reproduce those effects, insofar as possible.”
“Some questions that I always ask myself – and these are very important for Najwan’s poetry: How does the poem hit home? What’s the feel of this poem? What impression or feeling does it leave the reader with?
“After all, what good is a word-for-word translation if all the potency of the original is lost?”
Although his translations begin with a technical process of understanding the various possibly meanings of a poem in Arabic, “after that, it becomes much more creative”, he says.
“The best solutions always come to me from a space of silence … It’s not about struggle; it’s about finding a flow.” Rather than an “intellectual grappling” with the text, he describes this phases as an “empathetic or spiritual engagement” with it.
“For me at least, literary translation is definitely an art, and perhaps a meditation, but certainly not a science.”
Scroll through images of rare Arabic manuscripts and books on show at this year's Sharjah International Book Fair below
The specs
Engine: 5.0-litre supercharged V8
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Power: 575bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: Dh554,000
On sale: now
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WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
Essentials
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct from the UAE to Geneva from Dh2,845 return, including taxes. The flight takes 6 hours.
The package
Clinique La Prairie offers a variety of programmes. A six-night Master Detox costs from 14,900 Swiss francs (Dh57,655), including all food, accommodation and a set schedule of medical consultations and spa treatments.
Neil Thomson – THE BIO
Family: I am happily married to my wife Liz and we have two children together.
Favourite music: Rock music. I started at a young age due to my father’s influence. He played in an Indian rock band The Flintstones who were once asked by Apple Records to fly over to England to perform there.
Favourite book: I constantly find myself reading The Bible.
Favourite film: The Greatest Showman.
Favourite holiday destination: I love visiting Melbourne as I have family there and it’s a wonderful place. New York at Christmas is also magical.
Favourite food: I went to boarding school so I like any cuisine really.
The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
How does ToTok work?
The calling app is available to download on Google Play and Apple App Store
To successfully install ToTok, users are asked to enter their phone number and then create a nickname.
The app then gives users the option add their existing phone contacts, allowing them to immediately contact people also using the application by video or voice call or via message.
Users can also invite other contacts to download ToTok to allow them to make contact through the app.
Getting%20there%20and%20where%20to%20stay
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Six large-scale objects on show
- Concrete wall and windows from the now demolished Robin Hood Gardens housing estate in Poplar
- The 17th Century Agra Colonnade, from the bathhouse of the fort of Agra in India
- A stagecloth for The Ballet Russes that is 10m high – the largest Picasso in the world
- Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1930s Kaufmann Office
- A full-scale Frankfurt Kitchen designed by Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, which transformed kitchen design in the 20th century
- Torrijos Palace dome
The British in India: Three Centuries of Ambition and Experience
by David Gilmour
Allen Lane
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylturbo
Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic
Power: 242bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Price: Dh136,814
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Credits
Produced by: Colour Yellow Productions and Eros Now
Director: Mudassar Aziz
Cast: Sonakshi Sinha, Jimmy Sheirgill, Jassi Gill, Piyush Mishra, Diana Penty, Aparshakti Khurrana
Star rating: 2.5/5
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20WallyGPT%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2014%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESaeid%20and%20Sami%20Hejazi%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20raised%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%247.1%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2020%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPre-seed%20round%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
Results
Male 51kg Round 1
Dias Karmanov (KAZ) beat Mabrook Rasea (YEM) by points 2-1.
Male 54kg Round 1
Yelaman Sayassatov (KAZ) beat Chen Huang (TPE) TKO Round 1; Huynh Hoang Phi (VIE) beat Fahad Anakkayi (IND) RSC Round 2; Qais Al Jamal (JOR) beat Man Long Ng (MAC) by points 3-0; Ayad Albadr (IRQ) beat Yashar Yazdani (IRI) by points 2-1.
Male 57kg Round 1
Natthawat Suzikong (THA) beat Abdallah Ondash (LBN) by points 3-0; Almaz Sarsembekov (KAZ) beat Ahmed Al Jubainawi (IRQ) by points 2-1; Hamed Almatari (YEM) beat Nasser Al Rugheeb (KUW) by points 3-0; Zakaria El Jamari (UAE) beat Yu Xi Chen (TPE) by points 3-0.
Men 86kg Round 1
Ahmad Bahman (UAE) beat Mohammad Al Khatib (PAL) by points 2-1
Men 63.5kg Round 1
Noureddin Samir (UAE) beat Polash Chakma (BAN) RSC Round 1.
Female 45kg quarter finals
Narges Mohammadpour (IRI) beat Yuen Wai Chan (HKG) by points.
Female 48kg quarter finals
Szi Ki Wong (HKG) beat Dimple Vaishnav (IND) RSC round 2; Thanawan Thongduang (THA) beat Nastaran Soori (IRI) by points; Shabnam Hussain Zada (AFG) beat Tzu Ching Lin (TPE) by points.
Female 57kg quarter finals
Nguyen Thi Nguyet (VIE) beat Anisha Shetty (IND) by points 2-1; Areeya Sahot (THA) beat Dana Al Mayyal (KUW) RSC Round 1; Sara Idriss (LBN) beat Ching Yee Tsang (HKG) by points 3-0.
THE SPECS
Engine: 3.5-litre supercharged V6
Power: 416hp at 7,000rpm
Torque: 410Nm at 3,500rpm
Transmission: 6-speed manual
Fuel consumption: 10.2 l/100km
Price: Dh375,000
On sale: now
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ABU%20DHABI'S%20KEY%20TOURISM%20GOALS%3A%20BY%20THE%20NUMBERS
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The Birkin bag is made by Hermès.
It is named after actress and singer Jane Birkin
Noone from Hermès will go on record to say how much a new Birkin costs, how long one would have to wait to get one, and how many bags are actually made each year.
Babumoshai Bandookbaaz
Director: Kushan Nandy
Starring: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Bidita Bag, Jatin Goswami
Three stars
more from Janine di Giovanni
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Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher: Activision
Console: PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Xbox One & Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League last-16, second leg:
Real Madrid 1 (Asensio 70'), Ajax 4 (Ziyech 7', Neres 18', Tadic 62', Schone 72')
Ajax win 5-3 on aggregate
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
Citizenship-by-investment programmes
United Kingdom
The UK offers three programmes for residency. The UK Overseas Business Representative Visa lets you open an overseas branch office of your existing company in the country at no extra investment. For the UK Tier 1 Innovator Visa, you are required to invest £50,000 (Dh238,000) into a business. You can also get a UK Tier 1 Investor Visa if you invest £2 million, £5m or £10m (the higher the investment, the sooner you obtain your permanent residency).
All UK residency visas get approved in 90 to 120 days and are valid for 3 years. After 3 years, the applicant can apply for extension of another 2 years. Once they have lived in the UK for a minimum of 6 months every year, they are eligible to apply for permanent residency (called Indefinite Leave to Remain). After one year of ILR, the applicant can apply for UK passport.
The Caribbean
Depending on the country, the investment amount starts from $100,000 (Dh367,250) and can go up to $400,000 in real estate. From the date of purchase, it will take between four to five months to receive a passport.
Portugal
The investment amount ranges from €350,000 to €500,000 (Dh1.5m to Dh2.16m) in real estate. From the date of purchase, it will take a maximum of six months to receive a Golden Visa. Applicants can apply for permanent residency after five years and Portuguese citizenship after six years.
“Among European countries with residency programmes, Portugal has been the most popular because it offers the most cost-effective programme to eventually acquire citizenship of the European Union without ever residing in Portugal,” states Veronica Cotdemiey of Citizenship Invest.
Greece
The real estate investment threshold to acquire residency for Greece is €250,000, making it the cheapest real estate residency visa scheme in Europe. You can apply for residency in four months and citizenship after seven years.
Spain
The real estate investment threshold to acquire residency for Spain is €500,000. You can apply for permanent residency after five years and citizenship after 10 years. It is not necessary to live in Spain to retain and renew the residency visa permit.
Cyprus
Cyprus offers the quickest route to citizenship of a European country in only six months. An investment of €2m in real estate is required, making it the highest priced programme in Europe.
Malta
The Malta citizenship by investment programme is lengthy and investors are required to contribute sums as donations to the Maltese government. The applicant must either contribute at least €650,000 to the National Development & Social Fund. Spouses and children are required to contribute €25,000; unmarried children between 18 and 25 and dependent parents must contribute €50,000 each.
The second step is to make an investment in property of at least €350,000 or enter a property rental contract for at least €16,000 per annum for five years. The third step is to invest at least €150,000 in bonds or shares approved by the Maltese government to be kept for at least five years.
Candidates must commit to a minimum physical presence in Malta before citizenship is granted. While you get residency in two months, you can apply for citizenship after a year.
Egypt
A one-year residency permit can be bought if you purchase property in Egypt worth $100,000. A three-year residency is available for those who invest $200,000 in property, and five years for those who purchase property worth $400,000.
Source: Citizenship Invest and Aqua Properties
The specs
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Power: 272hp at 6,400rpm
Torque: 331Nm from 5,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.7L/100km
On sale: now
Price: Dh149,000
