Lessing's books to be translated into Arabic

Dubai: The Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation has acquired exclusive rights for the translation of three books by Doris Lessing, acclaimed British novelist and the winner of the 2007 Noble Prize for Literature, following its successful translation of Memoirs of a Survivor.

The foundation will fin-ance the translation, printing and publishing of Lessing's books, in collaboration with Arab Scientific Publishers in Beirut. This forms part of the foundation's relentless efforts to make literary classics available to the avid Arabic reader.

Collaborating with leading translators in the Arab world, the foundation will release the translated versions of Lessing's The Sweetest Dream, The Grandmothers and The Cleft by the end of this year.

London Book Fair

During the foundation's participation in the 2008 London Book Fair, a delegation led by Yasser Hareb, Deputy Director for Culture, held discussions with the renowned novelist at her residence.

Hareb said: "The foundation is privileged to have acquired exclusive rights for translating bestsellers in literature, which constitutes 25 per cent of the overall target of the Tarjem translation initiative - the rest being allocated to books in business, management, science and literature.

The Tarjem programme was launched this year by the Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation, aiming to enrich the Arabic library through the translation of 1,000 books in three years.