Accepting Linguistic Variety in Publishing Arabic | Enam Al-Wer and Omar Thawabeh
We organized a full-day symposium (October 26, 2024) with the mm:museum as part of their exhibition "The limits of my language are the limits of my world" at Northwestern Qatar this year. Three panel discussions took place which we are bringing you in three episodes on their podcast. This is the last one in the three in which we explore the history and vernaculars of Arabic, the state of Arabic publishing, and the role of translation in it all. Host Layan Abdul Shakoor highlights the challenges of publishing practices and guests Dr Enam Al-Wer and Omar Thawabeh share (respectively) their insights on linguistic variations and evolutions, and on the intricacies of translating between Arabic dialects. The panel also addresses the need for re-standardization of Arabic, overcoming barriers in the publishing industry, and fostering a love for the Arabic language among younger generations.
Dr Enam Al-Wer is a Professor of Linguistics who earned her BA in English and German from the University of Jordan and a Diploma in German from the Goethe Institute, Munich. She completed her MLing in Manchester, focusing on the syntax of negation in Jordanian Arabic, and her PhD at the University of Essex, under Prof Peter Trudgill, examining phonological variation in women’s speech. Dr Enam has taught English Linguistics at Philadelphia University, Jordan, and sociolinguistics at both Cambridge University and Birkbeck College.
Connect with 👉 Prof. Enam Al-Wer
Omar Thawabeh is a Beirut-based translator, writer and the co-host of afikra's Outline podcast. His translations and essays were published in Bidayat, The Public Source, Oasis, among other platforms and magazines. In 2023, his Arabic translation of Lamia Ziadé’s graphic novel "Bye Bye Babylone" was published by Mauzoun.
Connect with 👉 Omar Thawabeh
Hosted by 👉 Layan Abdul Shakoor
Layan is the founder and creative director of Mauzoun, the region’s first creative studio specializing in premium writing and boutique publishing. Under her leadership, Mauzoun has served over 100 clients across 15 countries, published numerous high-quality Arabic novels and coffee table books, and won prestigious awards, including the Publishing Accelerator Award and Ithra Arabic Content Initiative Grant. Renowned for setting new standards in bespoke content and royalty-based publishing, Layan continues to position Mauzoun as the Arab world’s premier writing and publishing house.
Explore 👉 Mauzoun
Read more about mm:museum's 2024 exhibition 👉 "The limits of my language are the limits of my world"
Media Majlis Museum Podcast
Welcome to the Media Majlis Museum Podcast powered by afikra, a series where we explore the intersection of language, culture, and identity, inspired by the exhibition "The Limits of My Language Are the Limits of My World" at the Media Majlis Museum at Northwestern University in Qatar.
