American writer and translator Daisy Rockwell captivates audience at SIBF
- Last updated: November 9, 2026 | 09:21
Raghib Hassan, Staff Reporter
The Forum 3 of Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF), was buzzing with energy and youthful enthusiasms on Saturday evening, as young audience filled the venue much before the programme even started. The curious audience had gathered to hear Daisy Rckwell, the Internationally acclaimed award-winning translator and receipt of the International Booker Prize.
Rockwell won the International Booker Prize in 2022 alongside Indian author Geetanjali Shree for translating her novel Tomb of Sand. The novel made history as the first book translated from Hindi to be shortlisted for the prestigious award. As expected, Rockwell captivated the Sharjah audience with her engaging insights. She took part in a panel discussion with Anamika, titled, “Across Languages: Daisy Rockwell on the Art of Literary Translation.” Rockwell discussed the challenges of translation, her sources of inspiration, and her deep connection with the Hindi and Urdu languages.
She said, I had the opportunity to attend a translation seminar by A.K. Ramanujan, which transformed my approach to the craft.” Reflecting on her journey, Rockwell said, “My interest in translation began in academia. During my PhD in South Asian languages, I wrote my thesis on Indian novelist Upendranath Ashk, who hailed from Jalandhar, Punjab, and switched from Hindi to Urdu. I was inspired to translate his work so that more people could read it.”I want more and more people to read Ashk, she urged.
Rockwell, who has translated notable works such as Bhisham Sahni’s Tamas, Khadija Mastur’s “The Women’s Courtyard” and Krishna Sobti’s “A Gujarat Here, A Gujarat There,” said, “I don’t like non-fiction. I have always found it boring. It is fiction that excites me.” A veteran in her craft, she said, “I found “Tomb of Sand” and “In the City a Mirror Wandering” little challenging.”
When asked how winning the International Booker Prize has changed her life, Rockwell said, “It has brought wider recognition to my work and given me the opportunity to visit many interesting places, including the Sharjah International Book Fair. More people are now approaching me for translation projects.”
Speaking about the growing recognition of translators, Rockwell said that they were once largely invisible but are now receiving greater attention. Readers are increasingly recognising translators by name, while the growing visibility is bringing them greater recognition and publishers are more willing to prominently credit them for their work.
Rockwell said she is not concerned about the growing influence of AI in everyday life, particularly in translation. “I don’t think AI can translate the way it should be done. AI is a robot; it can translate word for word in no time, but cultural nuances and human emotions are things it cannot fully capture.”
Encouraging aspiring writers and translators, Rockwell advised, “Keep writing every day for at least 10 minutes. You can write anything; don’t worry about the content or flow. Writing is a practice, just as translation is, so make it a daily habit. I always start with pen and paper.”