What We Are

The Banipal Trust for Arab Literature was founded in September 2004 by the publisher of Banipal magazine to support and celebrate the publication of Arab authors in English translation and the production of live literature events in the UK with Arab authors.

The Trust's aims and mission are:

• To support and promote the deepening and enriching of cultural dialogue between the Arab world and the West (particularly Europe and North America) in order to bring the literature of today’s Arab authors to the multicultural readership of the UK and to English speakers worldwide. The Trust sees this intercultural dialogue and exchange as opening a window for a Western audience on the realities of Arab culture in all its diversity and vibrancy.

• To support and promote the translation of literary works by contemporary Arab authors into English. Arab literature is an essential part of world culture and human civilisation, and it is through literary translation that these works of contemporary Arab literature become accessible to the widest possible audience, can take their rightful place within world literature and speak for themselves to a global readership.

• To support and promote the Saif Ghobash Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary Translation and all its activities.

• To support and promote the publication of Banipal magazine of modern Arab literature in English translation (ISSN 1461-5361) three times a year and the magazine’s publishing of a wide range of authors from all parts of the Arab world and its diaspora, and of a variety of genres and styles of creative writing.

• To support and promote the magazine’s publishing of 1) a wide range of authors from all parts of the Arab world, and its diaspora; 2) a variety of genres and styles.

• To support and promote, through Banipal magazine, the deepening and enriching of cultural dialogue between the Arab world and the West (particularly Europe and North America) to bring the literature of today’s Arab authors to the multicultural readership in the UK and English speakers worldwide.

• To support and promote equal opportunities, and non-discrimination on the basis of ethnicity, religion, gender or age, and encourage Banipal’s diversity of contributors whether they be editors, authors, writers, translators, reviewers or production workers.

• To support and promote live literature events in and outside the UK to promote Banipal issues and Arab authors.

The Trust is non-profit making.
The Trust supports equal opportunities, and non-discrimination on the basis of ethnicity, religion, gender or age.