Fathi M. A. Ahmed Presents and Signs Thinking Like a Legal Translator at the Cairo International Book Fair

On 24 January 2026, the Cairo International Book Fair 2026 hosted a warm and engaging afternoon event with Fathi M. A. Ahmed, author of Thinking Like a Legal Translator: An In-Depth Guide to Addressing Legal Translation Challenges at the International and Domestic Levels. The gathering combined a book signing with an open discussion symposium, drawing translators, academics, and readers who share a deep interest in the evolving field of legal translation.

The event opened in a friendly, conversational atmosphere, with guests enjoying informal chats before the session began. Mr. Hazem El-Behwashy, Radio Misr broadcaster, guided the discussion with thoughtful questions about the book’s aims and the professional realities that inspired it. Ahmed spoke candidly about the pressures that shape a translator’s work—often hidden behind the finished text but critical to achieving accuracy and fairness in multilingual legal contexts.

At the start of the conversation, Mr. El-Behwashy turned to the book’s title and subtitle, asking what inspired Ahmed to choose Thinking Like a Legal Translator and how the subtitle captures the book’s practical orientation. He then expanded the discussion with a series of thoughtful questions about the mindset of legal translators and the distinct features of legal drafting. He also asked if Arabic legal drafting differ from its English counterpart, particularly in the use of cautious or risk-averse language.

Several participants asked important questions about translation in the age of artificial intelligence. They asked which areas of the field are most affected by AI, how effective AI truly is in identifying legal equivalents, and how Ahmed envisions the translator’s role fifty years from now. In his responses, Ahmed acknowledged that AI offers promising tools but insisted that human translators remain central to legal communication and documentation, where reasoning, ethics, and nuance cannot be automated.

A particularly memorable moment came when Dr. Fouad Abdelrazek, the veteran BBC Radio interviewer and author of Mic on World Off, known for his landmark interviews with world leaders, shared reflections from his distinguished career. He spoke about the vital role of high-level whispering interpreters, emphasizing that their work must always be carried out with fairness, transparency, and discretion. Drawing a parallel to interviewing, he noted that both interpreters and journalists act as bridges of trust, carrying meaning accurately and responsibly between parties.

After the formal discussion, attendees lingered for friendly conversations and informal exchanges with the author. Many shared their own experiences with translation and their interactions with Ahmed as a translation instructor/lecturer in practice, making the evening as much a community gathering as an insightful dialogue. The overall atmosphere was one of warmth, curiosity, and respect—an event that celebrated both the launch of Ahmed’s book and the living conversation around legal translation and the future of translation in general.

Ahmed also expressed his gratitude to everyone who helped make the event possible, with special thanks to Aber Publishing House as the event organizer, Mr. Sherif Abuzeid as the event director, and Mr. Hussein Ali, who handled photography and video editing.