"There are seven different authors featured in the special section, translated from Arabic and from French, writing in widely different genres and styles; their work provides visions of Mauritania both future and past, future fiction, ironic time-travel fiction, historical fiction set in the seventeenth century, and tersely expressive poetry."
From the Archives: Safia Ketou, the First Algerian Sci-fi Novelist of Post-independence Algeria
"– You are on the Mauve Planet."
Where to Submit That Book: 14+ Prizes Open to Arabic Literary Works in English Translation
"If you are a translator, author, agent, or publisher who has recently shepherded an Arabic literary work into English translation, here are a few of the prizes to which you might submit it"
Humphrey Davies on Why ‘The Critical Case of K’ Isn’t ‘Your Woo-woo Cliché of Kafka’
"Humphrey Davies discusses how he came to the novel, why this isn't your woo-woo cliché of Kafka, and how coronavirus came to appear in a novel published in 2017."
Short Fiction: ‘Living in Songs’
"My dad woke me up at dawn, asking if I’d done anything stupid. He repeated his question as if he were addressing me from another world, about the nature of the calamity I had caused."
Friday Finds: New Issue of ‘The Common’ Features 9 Stories from Morocco
"They'll be having a virtual Issue 21 launch party on May 6 at 7 pm EDT."
‘Bila Hudood: Arabic Literature Everywhere’ Festival Wins Support, How You Can Get Involved
The three-day digital festival is set for July 9-11, and will feature both vibrant literature panels and "quick pitch" sessions where translators talk about Arabic books they think should appear in translation.
From the Archives: Wajdi al-Ahdal and Katherine Hennessy on Yemeni Theater
"The Yemeni public loves writing laced with irony and sarcasm. And Yemeni readers understand when an author is directing barbs at those who deserve it, like religious leaders, the military and politicians."
Abu Dhabi Book Fair Announces 2021 Hybrid Festival Details
According to organizers, this year’s hybrid fair “will stage over 80 free sessions across its cultural, professional and educational programs. With all events being livestreamed, the aim is to reach audiences around the world in a way that has not been possible before.”
From the Archives: Haytham El Wardany on Sleep as the First Stage of Rebirth
"No, sleep is not a rehearsal for death!"
Short Story: Amal Al Banna’s ‘The Drowned’
"The superstitious say the spirits live at night, and that they even take over the roads, especially during the long winter nights. Thunder, they say, is nothing but the sound of their fighting, and lightning the blood from their endless wars."
Friday Finds: Celebrating Iman Mersal
But there's also much more of Mersal's work to explore online.
