Forthcoming Arabic Lit in 2010: The Non-AUC Presses

There are three big books I’m looking forward to in 2010: Sonallah Ibrahim’s Stealth* (out from Aflame in February), Elias Khoury’s White Masks, (out from from Archipelago in April), and Youssef Ziedan’s Azazeel (out from Atlantic Books in March or April or whenever-ish**).

I’ve been through what’s coming from AUC Press in translation. But what else is floating on or near the horizon?

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From Interlink, there is: Touch, by Adania Shibli. March 30, 2010.

Shibli is apparently “the most talked-about author on the West Bank” (or so says Ahdaf Soueif). This piece by Janet De Neefe discusses the most-talked-about-ness of the Palestinian author, who also of course is one of the Beirut39. An excerpt of Touch.

Yes, I want it.

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From Syracuse University Press: State of Siege, by Mahmoud Darwish. June 2010.

Darwish is in high fashion, it seems, since his passing in 2008. Read from Siege online.

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From City Lights: The Rising of the Ashes, by Tahar Ben Jelloun. February 2010.

Tahar Ben Jelloun is a big name (the most translated Arabic writer after Mahfouz, according to Banipal); there’s an interesting profile of him on The Guardian’s site and a number of profiles elsewhere.

But, big name or no, is The Rising of the Ashes good? Words Without Borders has an excerpt. Looks like: yes.

*I suppose it’s not quite accurate to say I’m “looking forward to” Stealth, since I’ve already read it; I’m looking forward to everyone else getting to read it.

**The folks at Atlantic Books are not very chatty.