Alumni Author Spotlight: Bruce Lawrence ’55

Bruce Lawrence ’55 is the author of The Koran in English - A Biography, published by Princeton University Press in June 2017. Bruce’s book, which tells the story of how the Arabic Qur'an became the English Koran for millions of Muslims, has been well received by numerous reviewers. Eric Ormsby of the Times Literary Supplement writes, "Lawrence offers a learned yet elegantly written (and handsomely illustrated) account of attempts to translate the sacred text." Patrick Reardon of the Chicago Tribune describes it as "lively, open-minded and erudite... you don't have to be a Muslim or all that religiously inclined to find this book...delightful reading," while Jack Miles of the Los Angeles Review of Books notes that “Lawrence makes the story of the Qur’an in English as informative as it is fascinating."

 

In a recent update for Fay Magazine, Bruce let us know that he has been retired from Duke since 2011, but he frequently travels and teaches abroad.

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