Abdul Hadi Saadoun, an Iraqi writer, researcher and translator working in teaching, translation and publishing. He was born in 1968 in the city of Baghdad. Since the end of 1993, he has resided in Spain, where he is currently a professor of Arabic language and literature at Madrid University of Combloscy (UCM).
He is also a professor of Arabic language at the Diplomatic School in Madrid since 2023. He has a doctorate from the Faculty of Literature and Philosophy at the Independent University of Madrid, and a Bachelor of Spanish Language and Literature from the Faculty of Languages at the University of Baghdad. He worked as a professor for Arabic literature at the Independent University of Madrid between 2008 and 2010, and specialized in Spanish literature and language.
Publishing dozens of scientific research in Arabic and Spanish in literature and language affairs in tight scientific journals. He founded and managed (in conjunction with the writer Mohsen Al -Ramly) magazine and “Alfalfa” magazines and publications (Alfalfa), the Spanish “Alfalfa” publications specialized in translating and publishing Arabic literature since 2006. He is also the literary supervisor of the series “Arabic Arts” (Letras árabes) at the Spanish “Pebum” publishing house specialized in translating and publishing literature Contemporary Arab and classic from 2015 until today.
He wrote and directed his short feature film “Cemetery” in Madrid in 2006, and has been running the Madrid February Festival since 2016. He is also a literary consultant for Spanish and Latin -American literary festivals such as the Mediaine Festival in Colombia, “Live Voices” in Toledo, and the Madrid International Poetry Festival. He won various literary awards, including: Arab Child Literature Award, 1997, Antonio Machado International Poetry Award 2009, Spanish City of Sallaka City for Literary Excellence 2016, Literary Translation Award in Spanish Language (Marceo Reese) 2018, International Literary Excellence Award (Excellence Internazionale Poetica) in Italy 2024.
His first plastic exhibition, entitled “All this past”, held in the “Espathio Ronda” hall in Madrid in 2024, and he is a member of more than one literary authority, including: the Spanish Writers Union, the International Constituent Authority. Several texts were translated and published in various books, magazines and periodicals into multiple languages, including: Spanish, English, French, German, Persian, Kurdish, Turkish, Tarawan, Vagalty, Italian, Macedonian, Serbian and others. He was published in Arabic and Spanish and other languages more than 80 books on poetry, novel, short story, translation and ontology.
This dialogue with the researcher and translator Abdel -Hadi Saadoun deals with issues and translation of translation. To the text of the dialogue:
Arabic literature
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It is supervised by the “Letras” series of the Spanish “Perbum” publishing house specialized in translating and publishing contemporary and classic Arabic literature from 2015 until today, as is the case with the Spanish “Alfalfa” publications specialized in translating and publishing Arabic literature since 2006. What is the outcome of the outputs of the translation windows of these two, and what are the limits of knowing the other with our Arabic literature?
In fact, I do the tasks of the literary consultation of these two important series, which is a difficult task in itself, as you have to point and recommend the most appropriate translation, a task that one person can never do. But due to the lack of cultural movement specialized in the mission, I do it with a kind of responsibility and commitment to Arab culture.
The important thing is that one of these two series has come out to the Spanish reader with dozens of important titles in the novel, poetry and studies, with a deep and sincere translation by important Spanish Arabists, and this step is rarely made by major institutions or major publishing houses, so it is necessary to attend and push the wheel of publishing houses these interested in Arab literature and its multiple cultures, and it is in fact a role if we look at it, we would find it great and perceived For the position of Arabic literature within the translation production in the Spanish language.
We still go greatly in an attempt to get out of the few etiquette to attend the Spanish language, but it is an attempt to increase and grow every day, and you may need a big boost to reach what reaches other global etiquette. So, any idea of the evaluation and participation is always welcome.
In the last ten years, the translation movement with production and quality jumped to a high degree of quality, selection and attendance, all thanks to the names of the glorious and loyal Arabs of the cultural cross -fertilization process between Arabic and Spanish, and publishing numbers attest to this, which is the result of almost all the production of Spanish translation in previous decades. I say all this, yet the movement is still limited and few compared to many other languages, the languages of a minority and excelled in their translations to Spanish, producing Arabic translation.
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How do you see the translation movement now, from Spanish to Arabic compared to other languages?
In the last ten years, the translation movement with production and quality jumped to a high degree of quality, selection and attendance, all thanks to the names of the glorious and loyal Arabs of the cultural cross -fertilization process between Arabic and Spanish, and publishing numbers attest to this, which is the result of almost all the production of Spanish translation in previous decades. I say all this, yet the movement is still limited and few compared to many other languages, the languages of a minority and excelled in their translations to Spanish, producing Arabic translation.
I sincerely think that the process in order to succeed and take its big role, it must be from two parties, the Spanish side and the Arab side, and any defect or inaction, meaning marginalization and reduce spread. If the Spanish parties are making a little effort, then Arab institutions do less of it, but sometimes it has no effect. It is better to look at what we are doing for our culture and etiquette, and when we fill the many voids with effective solutions, I think the other will pay attention to that and will seek in turn to fill other voids.
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Since the last decade of the last century, you took the task of mediation between Spanish literature and Arabic literature, where he coordinated and supervised the “February Poetic Festival” and “The Salon of Arabic Literature” and festivals such as: Mediaine (Colombia), “Live Voices” (Tallatla- Spain), and the Madrid International Festival, all of which are launched from Spain and the Latin continent while almost free initiatives of this type In the Arab region. What are the reasons for this vision in your opinion?
I have pledged to myself since the early years to be on the Spanish scene not only to be a number of immigrants or intellectuals who are in a comfortable corner of Europe, but to be active in it, otherwise there is no meaning to the cultural and human value of one of us in the whole West and we do not do anything that moves the stagnant water between us and the new land of our shrine.
I think the task does not concern anyone, as much as it concerns all of us, and any initiative means throwing a stone in stagnant waters. Culture needs permanent pumping, permanent presence and hard work, and to expand attendance, it is necessary to sacrifice time, effort and work. I think that Spain and Spanish -speaking countries are still far from us and unknown despite the confusion and what is said about it in history and the present. Cultural exchange between two needs to be considered and the ability to budget and excess generosity.
I have pledged to myself since the early years to be on the Spanish scene not only to be a number of immigrants or intellectuals who are in a comfortable corner of Europe, but to be active in it, otherwise there is no meaning to the cultural and human value of one of us in the whole West and we do not do anything that moves the stagnant water between us and the new land of our shrine
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Between that poems or narrative works written in Arabic are translated into another language (for example, Spanish), or to write a text in another direct language … What about you as a translator and writer, from the reality of experience, i.e. the secrets, aesthetics and differences that you noticed here specifically?
The question of writing in another language is always confused me personally and I read the production of others, but in any case a kind of exercise to prove something; I wonder, is it persuading the soul to the ability to practice creativity in another voice? Or try to enter the new skin? On my part, it was not possible until more than two decades of continuous coexistence with the Spanish language with all its components, and the truth is that it was not until after I realized that the text comes out automatically and not deliberately.
I do not write Spanish texts for the Spanish, but rather an Iraqi Arab text in their language, and this is inevitably the correct. To translate your work yourself or through others, it will not be more than transfer from one language to another language, but participation from within the new language acquired is another, a kind of challenge or a kind of adventure, writing and creativity has always been the great human adventure. Another thing that I add is that I did not leave Arabic as others did, but rather practicing it with a kind of contrast and adaptation, and every text in it has its reasons that I distinguish its strands with accurately and sometimes I myself come to it. The text is enough to find its tools, voice, and special language even away from its owner often.
I do not write Spanish texts for the Spanish, but rather an Iraqi Arab text in their language, and this is inevitably the correct. To translate your work yourself or through others, it will not be more than transfer from one language to another language, but participation from within the new language acquired is another, a kind of challenge or a kind of adventure, writing and creativity has always been the great human adventure. Another thing that I add is that I did not leave the Arabic as others did, but rather practicing it with a kind of contrast and adaptation, and every text in it has its reasons that I distinguish its strands with precision and sometimes I myself come to it
Artificial intelligence and translation
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How do you see artificial intelligence in writing and writing the literary text? Are we facing a real digital transformation, or is the word stemming from sincere human feelings about to lose its shine and heat?
Humanity has passed and will pass many of the waves of renewal, whether agreed or not, and the previous centuries models are clear and can be examined according to its time. We are the sons of this century, and we must look at what is new to a kind of responsibility and alertness, not to intimidate and skepticism, as much as the process is a clear and certain indication of what we live in and the role of modern technologies in our practical life.
I think that even if we reach an advanced stage of relying on artificial intelligence, it will be with a controlle and directed human ability. I hope that I will not be wrong, what we see is frightening, it may send us a kind of desired modernization. Creative writing needs incentives and help from time to time to move from one phase to another. Every mysterious thing is useful in provoking strangeness, which is the strangeness that we live with this tremendous progress compared to our human capabilities.
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How do you read the future of translation in this context?
The translation, with or without the help, you need two factors and two languages, that is, there will be observation even if there is an automatic device that helps in translation. Will the future translator be just an observer, a trick and editor of the text? Perhaps, but it will be present in both cases. I am still of the old type. All my translations to this day are a kind of passing a desire to read and transfer it to another language, that is, the pleasure of reading through the original language or what I translate to the Arab reader.
I did not wait for a while to be a step to show off, race or confrontation, as much as it is a kind of continuous pleasure in practicing it and seeing it integrated in a book. I do not claim that I do not use any way to help me sometimes understand or find a way out, but it is aid -like assistance to use a dictionary when the trick is helping you. Inevitably, we can change our opinions and convictions in a near future when we witness a 100% automatic translator and does not need the role of any one in us, we are the human translators.
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Dozens of books were translated into Arabic on Spanish, and a number of less than that translated from Arabic into Spanish, as well as separate translations between articles, research, texts, etc. … Tell us about this extended experience, its prisons, and its pleasures?
The translation is dealt with like my dealings with my written texts, no difference; A kind of attachment and love to take it out in the best way. The truth is that after this tremendous number of translations from and to Spanish, I have not planned it and did not seek greatly, but I always repeat that we who master another language or live in Western countries are to feel responsibility towards interaction, transportation and education through translation, and this is what I worked with and sought for it.
What I transmitted from Spanish to Arabic is much greater than what I transferred from Arabic to Spanish, but it enters into this same circle to seek to find a kind of communication and exchange, especially in the necessary matters, which we do not have an impact here or there. Coexistence with texts is first with reading, admiration and the desire to be accessible to all. In Spain, there is a great shortage of the production of Arabic literature, and perhaps any step of translation and delivery will run a prominent gap. What I am sincere in translation, whether it is poetry or prose, is very similar to my sincerity in writing my texts itself.
(Tagstotranslate) Culture