The Launch of ‘ArabKidLitNow!’

A new seven-person collective has launched “ArabKidLitNow!,” a project dedicated to the discovery, translation, and promotion of great Arabic children’s literature:

You can find the website at arabkidlitnow.com.

ArabKidLitNow! seeks out great new Arabic children’s literature — ranging from picture books, to middle-grade novels for ages 8-12, to young-adult literature for 13+ — and pools their resources to bring out samples and summaries for interested publishers. Recommendations lists are also targeted at US- and UK-based booksellers and librarians who want to add Arabic-language titles to their shelves, but are not themselves Arabic readers.

The all-volunteer collective is the joint effort of translator-writer-critics Ruth Ahmedzai-Kemp, Emily Danby, Nashwa Gowanlock, Sawad Hussain, M. Lynx Qualey, and Hend Saeed. Anyone who wishes to donate will help to defray the costs, first of registering the website; second, of producing the samples and summaries; and third, a small printout that would be available at international bookfairs.