Untranslatability and the ineffability of voice in Arabic literature

This thesis focalizes two main notions, which are voice and untranslatability in the Arabic contexts. For Arabs since medieval era had always this need to keep what makes them particular, as poetry and Quran, away from translation and the other. Thus, if translation means moving from one place to another, they insisted on staying within the same space, playing on the voice (rhythm, tone..), since it’s the only aspect of language that can’t be transformed to other languages. However, the story of voice and the particularity of a culture did not end with old times, but it kept living implicitly, until the question of untranslatability raised again with Abdelfattah Kilito, with his book “Thou shalt not speak my language”.

Thus, this thesis, tries to raise the question of untranslatability again, but this time by focusing on the impossibility of uttering the voice; or the gaps between intentions and words, blanks and writings… self and other.

First Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Beatrice Gründler

• Peer-reviewed journal articles:

  Essakouti, A. “The Theory of Literary Genre: Pedagogical Categorization or Cultural Positionality?” Journal of Tabayyun for cultural studies and critical theory, Issue 21 - Volume 5 - summer 2017, (pp. 63-77)

  • Peer-reviewed websites:

  Essakouti, A. “In the need of ugliness and evil; from devils to monsters”,in: Mominoun without borders for studies and research, date of publication: 09 May 2018, Link: https://goo.gl/MkvHVX

  Essakouti, A. “The serpent and the stories of creation: Adam, Gilgamesh and Hay Ibn Yaqzan”, in: Mominoun without borders for studies and research, date of publication: 10 February 2018. Link: goo.gl/vprAbr

  Essakouti, A. “Self from Sufism to digitalization; the example of Hay Ibn Yaqzan”, in: Mominoun without borders for studies and research, date of publication: 20 January 2018. Link: goo.gl/21nSEY

  Essakouti, A. “The dark side of interpretation”, in: Mominoun without borders for studies and research,

  date of publication: 02 October 2017. Link: https://goo.gl/HpFQ8r

      

  • Literary magazine articles:

  Essakouti, A. “How did Abdelfattah Kilito speak?”, Doha magazine, Doha, number: 125, March 2018

  Essakouti, A. “The hero in the Arab modern novel”, Doha magazine, Doha, number: 118, August 2017

  Essakouti, A. “Imagination and illusion; between Shahrazad and Don Quichotte”, Al-Jadid magazine, London, number: 32, September 2017