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Sunday Submissions: ALQ’s Summer 2022 Issue

The theme of ArabLit Quarterly’s Summer 2022 issue is THE JOKE.

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This issue will be guest-edited by Anam Zafar and Nadiyah Abdullatif.

We are looking for writing in or about a JOKE, however that may be interpreted. Whether this is a literal knock-knock joke, or a meme, or a person who’s a joke, or a reflection on humor from the 10th century—we’re interested in it all.

We are happy to accept a pitch as a submission. Please make sure your submission fits one of the categories below: 

  • Poems of any length. The joke can be part of the form, style, or content. Either in Arabic or translated from Arabic to English and other languages. 
  • Short fiction with a strong JOKE element. Either in Arabic or translated from Arabic to English. 
  • Translations of classical or modern texts written in or about the JOKE, from Arabic.
  • Essays about JOKES, either translated or originally written in English, but linked to Arabic literature, writers or written with a deep literary engagement. 
  • Translator’s Café interview or feature related to jokes or humor, or humorlessness. 
  • Dictionary features focusing on the word JOKE in its many manifestations .
  • Food features about jokes.
  • Short comics incorporating a JOKE, either written bilingually, originally in Arabic, or with relation to Arabic literature.

Further note:

  • All types of humor welcome, including humor that doesn’t necessarily make the reader laugh out loud (e.g. dark humor)
  • Humor for humor’s sake is very welcome. 
  • Also welcome: excerpts from plays, caricatures
  • Interviews with, or pieces by, authors who use humour in their work
  • Pieces by translators about their difficulties translating a particular joke, and how they dealt with the challenge
  • Articles generally exploring humour in Arabic literature

Pitches for this issue should be in by April 15. Drafts of completed works should be in by May 7. We aim to publish June 15.


We are not able to accept:
Fiction and poetry originally written in English. Sorry.
We do accept:
Both pitches and completed works.
Yes, we do pay:
$20/page

Pitch us via ALQ’s Submittable.