Humphrey T. Davies

Humphrey T. Davies (6 April 1947 – 12 November 2021) was a British translator of Arabic fiction, historical and classical texts. Born in Great Britain, he studied Arabic in college and graduate school. He worked for decades in the Arab world and was based in Cairo from the late 20th century to 2021. He translated at least 18 Arabic works into English, including contemporary literature.

Life and career Born in London on 6 April 1947, Davies studied Arabic at Cambridge University and the American University in Cairo's Centre for Arabic Studies Abroad (CASA) in the 1960s. After working in the Arabic world and as a translator for years, he completed a PhD in Arabic in 1981 at the University of California, Berkeley.

Davies worked for NGOs and funding institutions in a number of countries in the Arab world, including Save the Children in Palestine and the Ford Foundation in Sudan. He began translating in 1997. From the early 21st century, he focused solely on literary translation.

Translations Davies translated both classical and colloquial Arabic texts and noted in particular his "respect for colloquial Arabic."

Books A Field Guide to the Street Names of Central Cairo by Humphrey T. Davies and Lesley Lababidi

Awards and honours 2006 Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary Translation, winner for Gate of the Sun by Elias Khoury 2006 English PEN "Writers in Translation" award, winner for Gate of the Sun by Elias Khoury 2010 Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary Translation, winner for Yalo by Elias Khoury 2010 Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary Translation, runner-up for Sunset Oasis by Bahaa Taher 2010 Independent Foreign Fiction Prize, longlisted for Yalo by Elias Khoury 2012 Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary Translation, runner-up for I Was Born There, I Was Born Here by Mourid Barghouti 2014 Best Translated Book Award, shortlist for Leg Over Leg Vol. 1 by Ahmad Faris al-Shidyaq 2022 Saif Ghobash Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary Translation, joint winner, awarded posthumously, for The Men Who Swallowed the Sun by Hamdi Abu Golayyel