Syrian writers and artists publish to protest tyranny
The work of over 50 Syrian artists and writers has been collected in Syria Speaks, a new book published in the UK by Saqi. The anthology contains poems, cartoons, posters,… Read more »
What’s better for translated literature: starting a publishing house or publicizing what’s already available?
Last week saw an interesting, and surprisingly combative, exchange between a couple of important voices in the world of translation. It was all kicked off by a blogpost in the… Read more »
Saudi Kingdom bans the Arabic equivalent of Twilight
The fantasy novel HWJN has been pulled from bookstores in Saudi Arabia this month—not for its hot, wet jinni romance, but rather for its mentions of Ouija boards and other… Read more »
“The discourse exists”: the launch of the Library of Arabic Literature
It’s been long-awaited, but the Library of Arabic Literature, an ambitious series of 35 books to be published over the next five years, has at last been launched. First announced in… Read more »
The Guardian’s “Best Books on Egypt” list underwhelms…to put it mildly
When you’re making sweeping generalizations about what to read to get to know another country—its history, its inhabitants, and its literature— the honorable route to take is one of compensatory… Read more »
Poetry ringtones, wretched money, and blogging Arabic literature: an interview with M. Lynx Qualey
The blog Arabic Literature (in English) hasn’t been around for very long, but it covers with vigor and depth a giant field of literary activity that still remains relatively unknown… Read more »