Barbara Romaine has previously translated three novels, including two by Radwa Ashour, as well as Bahaa Taher’s Aunt Safiyya and the Monastery. She has also published shorter pieces by Ibrahim Aslan and Mohamed Qandil, and translated some selections from classical Arabic poetry, which are forthcoming in literary journals. In 2011 her translation of Ashour’s novel Spectres was runner-up in the competition for the Saif Ghobash Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary Translation.