Egypt's most prominent poet Ahmed al-Shahawy said in an interview with al-Bawaba News Saturday the poetic translation must reveal the poet's self, culture and civilization. "When I read poetry in international festivals, foreign poets and audience expect to meet a poet reflecting his Arab and Islamic culture, not an imitator of the western civilization" Shahawy added. The 55-year old Shahawy, whose poems have been translated into numerous languages, said he had previously declined five French mistranslations for his works. The laureate of the UNESCO Poetry Prize in 1995 and the Kafafy Prize in 1998, added he had signed a contract with the Turkey-based Kirmizi Publication House to get 13 books translated in Turkish by Mohamed Hakki Socin.
