Kaveh Akbar’s Big List of New and Forthcoming Books by Writers from Muslim Communities and Muslim-majority Countries

ArabLit became familiar with the work of Iranian-American poet Kaveh Akbar — we think — via his simpatico, Dubai-based Lebanese poet Zeina Hashem Beck:

Two days ago, Akbar posted a megalist on Facebook, prefacing it, “Someone on Twitter asked about new books by Muslim writers to read (or get hyped about) for Ramadan, so I made a short list of newish and forthcoming books by writers from the Muslim world—I’ll update w your recommendations too[.]”

The list may be more than 50 now; it was 50 when last I looked. Of those on the list with which I’m familiar, they’re by turns witty, stunning, warm, immense, world-creating, language-creating, dizzying, inventive, and chilling (that’s for the Hassan Blasim). Some are recent releases, while others are forthcoming. I’ve added such details as I already knew or were easily found online. Details I knew and forgot are not included.

Akbar’s list includes Arab and non-Arab, Arabophone and non-Arabophone works. However, with Akbar’s permission, ArabLit will, for today, expand our remit to the whole list:

Kazim Ali, INQUISITION (to be published by Wesleyan University Press in early 2018.)
Randa Jarrar, HIM, ME, MUHAMMAD ALI (review)
Marwa Helal, INVASIVE SPECIES (Nightboat Books, 2019)
Fatimah Asghar, TODAY WE’RE AMERICAN (forthcoming on One World/ Random House)
Hayan Charara, SOMETHING SINISTER
Carolina Ebeid, YOU ASK ME TO TALK ABOUT THE INTERIOR
Solmaz Sharif, LOOK
Fady Joudah, TEXTU
Roger Sedarat, HAJI AS PUPPET
Zeina Hashem Beck, LOUDER THAN HEARTS (review coming in a few days, but do not wait, acquire now)
Leila Chatti, TUNSIYA AMRIKIYA (spring 2018 Bull City Press)
Hala Alyan, SALT HOUSES
Ladan Osman, THE KITCHEN-DWELLER’S TESTIMONY
Hanif Willis-Abdurraqib, THEY CAN’T KILL US UNTIL THEY KILL US
Jess Rizkallah, THE MAGIC MY BODY BECOMES (October 1, 2017, University of Arkansas Press)
Philip Metres, PICTURES AT AN EXHIBITION
Lena Khalaf Tuffaha, WATER & SALT
Sholeh Wolpé, (translator of Attar’s) CONFERENCE OF THE BIRDS
Safia Elhillo, THE JANUARY CHILDREN
Omar Sakr, THESE WILD HOUSES
Lauren Camp, ONE HUNDRED HUNGERS
Tarfia Faizullah, REGISTERS OF ILLUMINATED VILLAGES
Najwan Darwish, NOTHING MORE TO LOSE (conversation with translator Kareem James Abu-Zeid)
Khaled Mattawa, TOCQUEVILLE
Adeeba Talukder, WHAT IS NOT BEAUTIFUL (forthcoming Glass Poetry Press)
S. K. Ali, SAINTS AND MISFITS (coming June 13, 2017 Simon and Schuster)
Dunya Mikhail, THE IRAQI NIGHTS (also trans. Kareem James Abu-Zeid; a conversation with Mikhail)
Naomi Shihab Nye, TRANSFER
Anis Mojgani, THE POCKETKNIFE BIBLE
Glenn Shaheen, ENERGY CORRIDOR
Samiya Bashir, FIELD THEORIES
Lawrence Joseph, INTO IT
Angel Nafis, BLACK GIRL MANSION
Saba Razvi, IN THE CROCODILE GARDENS
Mahmoud Darwish, IF I WERE ANOTHER (trans. Fady Joudah)
Hasan Namir, GOD IN PINK
Etel Adnan, LIFE IS A WEAVING
Mohsin Hamid, EXIT WEST
Hisham Matar, THE RETURN (review-essay)
Mohsen Emadi, STANDING ON EARTH (trans. Lyn Coffin)
Porochista Khakpour, SICK (Harper Perennial May 2018)
Gayath Almadhoun, ADRENALINE (trans. Catherine Cobham, forthcoming)
Saladin Ahmed, BLACK BOLT
Hassan Blasim, THE CORPSE EXHIBITION (trans. Jonathan Wright; review)
Bänoo Zan, SONGS OF EXILE
Yasmin Belkhyr, BONE LIGHT
Rahat Kurd, COSMOPHILIA
Mohja Kahf, HAJAR POEMS
Athena Farrokhzad, WHITE BLIGHT
Kristine Ong Muslim, BLACK ARCADIA