We are so proud to announce that the translation work of our alumnus Hadi Umayra (MA, 2018), "Aisha, Baghdad, and Me" was nominated for the Pushcart Prize, which "honors the best poetry, short fiction, essays, or other literary works published in the small presses over the previous year".

Before joining TIS, Hadi Umayra has served in the US Army as an Arabic translator and cultural advisor for four years. Currently, he is working on his PhD in English literature with a specialization in translation at the University of Texas at Dallas after he obtained a master’s degree in political science there in 2021. 

For more details about Hadi Umayra's exciting journey from an army veteran to a literary translation professional, please check his recent interview posted on SCLC website:   Army veteran and TIS alumnus finds success in literary translation | School of Literatures, Cultures, and Linguistics at Illinois