Trevor LeGassick (August 19, 1935June 21, 2022) was a noted Western scholar and translator in the field of

Arabic literature Arabic literature ( / ALA-LC: ''al-Adab al-‘Arabī'') is the writing, both as prose and poetry, produced by writers in the Arabic language. The Arabic word used for literature is ''Adab (Islam), Adab'', which comes from a meaning of etiquett ...

. He obtained a BA in Arabic from the

School of Oriental and African Studies The School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS University of London; ) is a public research university in London, England, and a member institution of the federal University of London. Founded in 1916, SOAS is located in the Bloomsbury area ...

in 1958 and completed a PhD, also from SOAS, in 1960. After stints in Wisconsin and Indiana, he joined the faculty of the

University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...

in 1966, where he would teach for fifty-two years. He was promoted to full professor in 1979. LeGassick published three books and numerous articles on contemporary Arabic culture and literature. He was also noted as a translator of Arabic novels, short stories and plays, covering a wide range of modern writers such as

Naguib Mahfouz Naguib Mahfouz Abdelaziz Ibrahim Ahmed Al-Basha (, ; 11 December 1911 – 30 August 2006) was an Egyptian writer who won the 1988 Nobel Prize in Literature. In awarding the prize, the Swedish Academy described him as a writer "who, through wo ...

Halim Barakat Halim Barakat ( December 4, 1931 - June 22, 2023 ) was a Syrian American novelist and sociologist. He was born into a Greek-Orthodox Arab family in Kafroun, Syria, and raised in Beirut. Career Barakat received his bachelor's degree in sociolog ...

Yusuf Idris Yusuf Idris, also spelled Yusof Idris (; May 19, 1927 – August 1, 1991) was an Egyptian writer of plays, short stories, and novels. Biography Idris was born in Faqous. He originally trained to be a doctor, studying at Cairo University. He ...

and Emile Habiby. His 1975 translation of Mahfouz's novel '' Midaq Alley'' was one of the first works to introduce English speakers to the writings of the eventual

Nobel Prize The Nobel Prizes ( ; ; ) are awards administered by the Nobel Foundation and granted in accordance with the principle of "for the greatest benefit to humankind". The prizes were first awarded in 1901, marking the fifth anniversary of Alfred N ...

winner. He retired as emeritus professor at the University of Michigan on May 31, 2022, and died on June 21, 2022.

Books

* ''Major Themes in Modern Arabic Thoughts'' (1979) * ''The Defense Statement of Ahmad 'Urabi''(1982) * ''Critical Perspectives on Naguib Mahfouz'' (1990)

Selected translations

* '' Midaq Alley'' by

. 1975 * ''Days of Dust'' by

. 1974 * ''Flipflop and His Master'' by

. A three-act play in translation, 1977 * ''I Am Free and Other Stories'' by Ihsan Abd El Koddous. 1978. * ''The Secret Life of Saeed (A Palestinian Who Became a Citizen of Israel)'' by Emile Habiby. Co-translator:

Salma Khadra Jayyusi Salma Khadra Jayyusi (; 16 April 1925 – 20 April 2023) was a Palestinian poet, writer, translator and anthologist. She was the founder and director of the Project of Translation from Arabic (PROTA), which aims to provide translation of Arabic ...

. 1982 * ''The Thief and the Dogs'' by Naguib Mahfouz. Co-translator: M. Badawi. 1984 * ''Wild Thorns'' by

Sahar Khalifeh Sahar Khalifeh (; born 1941) is a Palestinians, Palestinian writer. She has written eleven novels, which have been translated into English, French, Hebrew, German, Spanish, and many other languages. One of her best-known works is the novel ''Wil ...

. Co-translator:

Elizabeth Fernea Elizabeth Warnock Fernea (October 21, 1927 – December 2, 2008) was an influential writer and filmmaker who spent much of her life in the field producing numerous ethnographies and films that capture the struggles and turmoil of African and ...

. 1985

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:LeGassick, Trevor 1935 births 2022 deaths Arabic–English translators University of Michigan faculty