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ABU DHABI - The book entitled “The Suraiyya Resonance”, which was translated by the UAE’s vanguard poet and translator Dr. Shihab Ghanem for Kalima was awarded the Al Owais Award for Scientific and Cultural Achievement of the best translated work in Dubai.

The awarding was announced last Sunday at a press conference organized by the Cultural and Scientific Association in Dubai, which seeks to encourage and honour UAE writers and thinkers.

Dr. Ali bin Tamim, Director of Kalima, the translation initiative of the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage, hailed the Indian book’s win of the prestigious award.

“Not only does the value of this book lie in the content of poems, but also in the unique and wonderful experience lived by the poet besides her ability to impressively and transparently express it,” said Dr. bin Tamim.

“The book’s translation was proposed by Dr. Ghanem himself. The jury then gave its approval after examining the book, which confirms the accuracy of his selection,” he said.

“This choice also comes in the context of Kalima’s aim of encouraging translators to submit their proposals for the translation with the belief that the translator has an essential role in the translation process,” he noted, adding that Dr. Ghanem excelled in the translation of Kamala Suraiyya’s poetry collection.

Dr. Ghanem expressed his deep pride in the Award which is associated with the late distinctive UAE poet Sultan bin Ali Al Owais.

“I am delighted to be the first translator to receive this Award due to the importance of translation in the renaissance of this nation. This Award makes ​​me appreciate my efforts throughout more than twenty years of experience in poetry translation,” Dr. Ghanem said, thanking Kalima and its Director for elegantly publishing the translated version of “The Suraiyya Resonance”.

“The Suraiyya Resonance”, contains a full collection of her poetry which had been originally published in Malayalam under the title “Ya Allah” (O God).

This collection reflects the unique life experiences of the great Indian poetess, who was nominated for the Nobel Prize for literature in 1984, until her death in 2009.

She has spent decades looking for the truth of existence and she has made the discovery that in fact the truth lies in the existence of Almighty God, as depicted by Islam.

She expresses her feelings about her lengthy search for the discovery of this truth in her poetry collection “The Suraiyya Resonance”.

Never before has either an Arabic or foreign poet been able to express such an experience, yet she has achieved her goal in this comprehensive collection.

Almost all her poems are variations on a theme: her euphoria at reaching and embracing the teachings of Islam.

Suraiyya was born in the Thrissur District of Kerala in1934 into a famous Hindu Nair (Nallappattu) family known for their interest in culture and literature. Her father is the former managing editor of a widely-circulated daily, and her mother is a renowned poetess.

Until she embraced Islam, she wrote most of her poetry in English under the penname Kamala Das. Later she wrote under the pseudonym of Kamala Suraiyya.

She is regarded as India’s most famous poetess and short story writer, despite not finishing her university studies. She was awarded an honorary doctorate and was nominated for the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1984.

The poetry collection was translated by the UAE’s vanguard poet and translator Dr. Shihab Ghanem. He acquired a Bachelor degree in Mechanical Engineering and Electrical Engineering from Aberdeen, Master of Engineering in Water Resources Development from Roorkee University, and a Ph.D. in Economics from Cardiff. He is a Fellow of the British Institution of Mechanical Engineers and a Fellow of the British Institute of Management.

He was Director of Engineering and Advisor to the Executive Chairman of Dubai Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation, and Managing Director of Mohammed Bin Rashid Technology Park.

He served as President of the Engineering Service of the Jebel Ali Free Zone and Dubai Ports and General Manager of the city of Mohammed Bin Rashid Technology,

Dr. Ghanem has published 47 books, including 12 poetry collections.