"Look at this beautiful cover of which I am very proud, the flower seems to protrude from the cover -- it is an honour to be translated into Arabic," Guillermo Arriaga wrote on Twitter, to announce the Arabic translation of his 1994 novel A Sweet Scent of Death (Un dulce olor a muerte). This is the first Arabic translation of any works of the prolific writer, screenwriter and filmmaker. Arriaga is the screenwriter of Amores Perros, 21 Grams, and Babel and wrote and directed the 2008 film The Burning Plain starring Charlize Theron.
The official synopsis for the book reads: "Early one morning in a deserted field, Ramón Castaños is confronted with the dead body of Adela, a lovely young girl whom he had only admired from afar. Within an hour, rumor of the death of Ramón Castaños's girlfriend has spread to every corner of Loma Grande. This powder trail of gossip ignites further violence when the villagers, thirsty for revenge, cast about for answers and hit upon the nomadic José Echeverri-Berriozábal, known as "the Gypsy". Honor then demands that Ramón must now live out his imaginary past in a brutal reality and prove his manhood by avenging Adela's cruel fate."
The novel was also turned into a film in 1999, directed by Gabriel Retes, who also acted in the film, and starring Diego Luna and Karra Elejalde.
This new Arabic translation by Mohamed El Fouly and published by Darathar will be available at the upcoming Abu Dhabi International Book Fair at booth B17.
