The Bloomsbury Review (TBR), a national literary magazine, has named Syracuse
University Press as 2008 Publisher of the Year, due in large part to its Middle East Literature
in Translation series. TBR editor Jeff Biggers cites both Taghi Modarressi's "The Virgin of
Solitude: A Novel" and "Contemporary Iraqi Fiction: An Anthology" as examples of the
great work SU Press is doing.
"At a time when bookstores are overwhelmed by superficial cut-and-paste portraits of the
Middle East that provide little insight into the cultures and experiences in the war-torn
region, Syracuse University Press serves as a beacon of light for the publishing industry,"
Biggers says. "These books deserve the widest distribution and attention possible in our
country."
Initiated in1996, when few publishers were interested in making world literature available to
an English-speaking audience, the Middle East Literature in Translation series includes
novels, short story collections and memoirs from Arabic, Turkish and Persian, in addition to
Kurdish, Turkmen, Urdu and Uzbek. SU Press has published translations of such critically
acclaimed authors as Adonis, short listed for the 2005 Nobel Prize for literature, and the
revered Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish.
"It is truly gratifying for SU Press to have received The Bloomsbury Review's recognition for
its important work," says Suzanne Thorin, university librarian and dean of the library at
Syracuse University. These materials make a significant contribution to increasing cultural
awareness and understanding, a pressing need in these times."
Since its inception in 1943, SU Press has been committed to serving scholars and
scholarship, promoting a diverse cultural and intellectual expression, and preserving the
history, literature and culture of the Central New York region. Through the publication of
significant and groundbreaking books, the press is able to extend the reach and influence of
the University, making evident SU's commitment to knowledge and ideas. SU Press focuses
on such areas as New York state, Middle East studies, Jewish studies, geography, Irish
studies, Native American studies, religion, and television and pop culture. In the spring, the
press will inaugurate a new series, "Critical Perspectives on Disability."
For more information about SU Press and to find a complete list of titles, visit
http://SyracuseUniversityPress.syr.edu.
