Why Egypt needs an Audiovisual Translation Authority

The digital revolution has changed the way information is created and accessed. Communication has become multimodal, created almost instantly and made available online, accessed 24/7 and is updated regularly. This development has also changed the way translation is created and accessed. Translation is fast becoming multimodal; using image, video, audio and colour in addition to text in a myriad of ways, contexts and settings. However, this new format of translation is being practiced without formal training, education or research. Despite an early interest in subtitling, Egyptian academia has been slow in espousing the larger discipline of audiovisual translation. This paper takes a strategic look at the current practice of audiovisual translation in Egypt and argues that an audiovisual translation authority is needed for the new discipline to take root.