(Don’t) Boycott the Riyadh International Book Fair
The Riyadh International Book Fair continues to be a cultural clash point in the KSA. It’s one of the few times and places where Saudis and foreigners, men and women […]
March 2012
The Meaning of ‘Haditha, Iraq’
“All my life I wanted to write but I couldn’t. I studied French literature, and my dream was to write what’s on my heart, but I couldn’t. I didn’t start […]
11 Rules and 3 Award-winning Translations from Samah Selim
The “10 rules” series resumes with award-winning translator Dr. Samah Selim. Eleven Rules 1. Think about register. Every essay, novel or story projects a particular and unique language register. A […]
Review: ‘Arabic Booker’-shortlisted ‘Embrace at Brooklyn Bridge’
By Mohga Hassib In his latest, International Prize for Arabic Fiction-shortlisted novel, Embrace at Brooklyn Bridge, Ezzedine Choukri Fishere takes a different direction from his previous, politically driven writings. The […]
5 Questions with ‘A Tunisian Tale’ Translator Max Weiss
ArabLit: What I enjoyed throughout A Tunisian Tale was the teasing humor & the pacing (even when I was being teasingly manipulated). But the most beautiful craft, I thought, was […]
Sheikh Zayed Book Awards Announced, Literature Prize Withheld
Seven winners of Sheikh Zayed Book Awards (SZBA) were announced this morning. The eighth prize, for literature, was withheld. Although six titles had been shortlisted for the “literature” prize — […]
‘A Tunisian Tale’: A Grim Delight
From the Egypt Independent (formerly Al Masry Al Youm English): The spark at the center of Hassouna Mosbahi’s short novel, “A Tunisian Tale,” is a human immolation. As in the real Tunisia, this death […]
Best Translated Book Award Longlist: Jonas Hassen Khemiri’s ‘Montecore’
As you might imagine, I was a bit disappointed by the 2012 “Best Translated Book Award” fiction longlist, which boasts 25 books that should represent the “best of translated fiction” […]
The Emirati Short Story: A Focus on Identity
By Amina Hachemi When I saw the latest issue of Banipal, I was, to say the least, surprised. Despite having lived in the United Arab Emirates for 15 years, I […]