At 6:30 PM on Wednesday, April 23, Cairo will shimmer with the cultural spirit of India and the music of its letters, as Darna Museum, founded by artist, critic, and novelist Abdel Razek Okasha, hosts the inaugural session of the Afro-Asian Literary Forum. This exceptional cultural evening brings together writers and translators from Egypt and India in a unique intellectual gathering on the banks of the Nile—a celebration of literature that knows no borders.
Ashraf Aboul-Yazid, poet, writer, and Editor-in-Chief of The Silk Road Today, Secretary General of the Congress of African Journalists (CAJ) and coordinator of the forum, announced that the evening will begin with a scholarly session focusing on Arabic-Malayalam literary translation. Participating in this session are three distinguished Assistant Professors and Research Supervisors from the Department of Arabic, Farook College, University of Calicut, Kerala:
- Dr. Abbas K. P., who will present his paper titled “Challenges in Translating Poetry”, discussing the aesthetic and stylistic difficulties encountered when transferring poetic works from one language to another.
- Dr. Abdul Jaleel M., in his paper “Translatability of Culture in Literary Translation – Arabic-Indian Texts as a Model”, will examine the intricate challenge of translating cultural dimensions, offering applied examples and insightful analysis.
- Dr. Muhammed Abid U. P. will conclude the session with his paper “Literary Translation from Arabic to Malayalam: An Overview”, providing a comprehensive historical account of translation between the two languages, highlighting major achievements and persistent challenges.
The second session of the forum will mark the launch of the Malayalam translation of a selected poetry collection titled “Memory of Silence” by Ashraf Aboul-Yazid, translated by academic Dr. Sabina K. This is the poet’s second Malayalam publication, following the earlier translation of his novel “Back Garden”, rendered into Malayalam by Dr. Abdul Majeed and Dr. Mansoor Ameen, faculty members at the University of Calicut and MES College, Mampad, respectively.
Malayalam is spoken by over 40 million people worldwide, primarily in the Indian state of Kerala, the Lakshadweep Islands, and by large diasporic communities in the Gulf countries, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, and the United States. Ashraf Aboul-Yazid has visited Kerala multiple times, where he attended the launch of his translated novel and participated in the defense of a PhD thesis titled “The Poetics of Narrative in the Novels of Ashraf Aboul-Yazid”, written by Dr. Sabina K. and supervised by Prof. Muhiyuddin Kuti A. P., former Head of the Arabic Department, University of Calicut.
A special message from Dr. Sabina K. to the forum’s audience will be delivered on her behalf by her husband, Dr. Abbas K. P., in a touching gesture that reflects the intertwined bonds of scholarship and personal dedication.
The new poetry volume is published by the Egyptian house Dar Al-Nasher, as part of the Silk Road Creativity Series, which also released The Poetics of Narrative in the Novels of Ashraf Aboul-Yazid, along with several other global literary projects, including eight short Korean novels, a poetry collection by Hemant Divate, and the Silk Road Anthology Series, which has so far produced five volumes:
“Asia Sings”, ” Mediterranean Waves”, “Ancient Egyptians, Modern Poets”, “Arabian Nights, World Poems”, and “Nano Poems for Africa”, featuring contributions from over 150 authors representing more than 50 countries.
Thus, Darna Museum continues to fulfill its civilizational mission as a vibrant bridge between cultures. Under the spirited leadership of its founder Abdel Razek Okasha, the museum has become a thriving center for academic, artistic, and literary activity, welcoming intellectuals and creators from across the globe.
