AIOU publishes translation of Algerian novel

The Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) has launched the second edition of the first Algerian novel translated into Urdu, authored by Dr Fadila Melhag.

The novel, titled 'When Life Desires You', was jointly translated by Dr Abdul Majeed Baghdadi, Head of the Department of Language and Literature at AIOU, and Dr Lubna Farah, Director of the Translation Department at the National University of Modern Languages (NUML). The second edition includes an introduction by AIOU Vice-Chancellor Professor Nasir Mahmood.

When Life Desires You was first published in 2023 by the Pen League of Karachi alongside two other translated works, Outside the Field of Discovery and For Display Unpaintable, both translated by Dr Lubna Farah.

In his introduction, Professor Nasir Mahmood emphasized the cultural significance of this translation, citing the strong historical ties between Pakistan and Algeria dating back to Pakistan's support of the Algerian revolution in 1954 and the interim Algerian government in 1958.

He praised the translation and publication of Dr Melhag's works as a groundbreaking effort to introduce Algerian literature to Pakistan and South Asia, encouraging greater exchange of literary works between Arabic and Urdu.

Professor Mahmood highlighted that the novel tackles the contemporary issue of illegal immigration to the north, exploring its complex ideological, economic, and cultural dimensions.

He lauded Dr Melhag's exceptional creativity and intellectual contributions across multiple literary genres.

Dr Fadila Melhag holds a PhD in law and has received numerous accolades in both legal and literary fields. Her works, which span novels, poetry, and short stories, have been published in Algeria, Egypt, France, and Pakistan, and translated into French, English, Spanish, and Urdu.