For this Translation Tuesday, we’re thrilled to present two very short stories by Sudanese writers Fatimah El Senussi and Wedd Alwakeel Maarouf. Both stories use a minimum of words to depict meaningful moments. In “Expatriate”, a routine doctor’s visit becomes a lens through which conventional ideas of pathology are questioned. The story deftly explores the struggles of immigrants navigating healthcare systems where their unique challenges are often misunderstood or ignored. In “A Machiavellian Mind”, a bartender’s long-nursed inner ambitions clash with the reality of his mundane job; with sharp wit, the story playfully subverts alarmist narratives about Islamic fundamentalism and its perceived threat to Western civilization. Translated from Arabic by Essam M. Al-Jassim, both pieces shine with a pithy, humorous, and deeply emotive voice.
Expatriate
by Fatimah El Senussi
In a distant land, the cardiologist closely scrutinized the X-ray of my heart. In a low, disturbed tone, he said, “You have congenital heart defects.”
“They’re not heart defects,” I desperately replied. “But my heart, always in exile, has taken the shape of my homeland.”
The doctor, initially stunned, sat down to diligently examine the map.
A Machiavellian Mind
by Wedd Alwakeel Maarouf
It had been several years since he’d lived in a Western country. Now at work, he whispered to himself, Little remains in the way of accomplishing my goal. It was my father’s last wish to build a mosque in his name.
“A tall glass of blended whiskey and lemon-lime soda, please.” The customer’s voice drew his attention.
Translated from the Arabic by Essam M. Al-Jassim
Fatimah El Senussi is recognized as one of the trailblazers of the very short story genre in Sudan. She was born in the 1950s in Al-Hasahisa, Sudan. A journalist, short story author, translator, and media activist, she graduated from the Faculty of Arts at the University of Khartoum, earning a degree in history and Arabic language. Following her graduation, she served as an official in the cultural department of Sudanese Radio, taking on roles as a journalist and editor, and later worked as a translator for the Sudanese newspaper Al-Siyasa. Her writings are noted for their brevity and innovation, significantly impacting the literary landscape in Sudan. Additionally, she collaborated with various newspapers, including those from the Gulf region. In partnership with the Cultural Foundation in Abu Dhabi, UAE, she translated numerous works. Eventually, she left Sudan and emigrated to the United States of America, where she continued her career in translation.
Wedd Alwakeel Maarouf is a writer of short stories from Sudan. He has published numerous very brief stories in Arabic literary journals. Mr. Maarouf presently resides in Atbra, Sudan.
Essam M. Al-Jassim is a Saudi writer and translator based in Jubail, Saudi Arabia. His writings and translations have been featured nationally and internationally in various Arabic and English-language literary journals. He is the translator and editor of the recently published anthology of flash fiction, Furtive Glimpses: Flash Fiction from The Arab World.
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