"So Qays—thanks to his madness—became free not only from the power of the sultan and the tribe, but also—and especially—from the boundaries imposed on him by the transmitters of his story. We still find him stepping out and escaping, over and over."
The 2018 Bahrain International Book Fair: Breaking Your Fast with an Onion
"When patience is poorly rewarded, you will certainly hear Bahrainis express their frustration by likening the situation to 'breaking one’s fast with an onion.' And after a little over a year’s worth of waiting, Bahrain’s 18th International Book Fair is that onion."
‘Pirates, Dragons, Magicians, and Vampires from the Heart of Bahrain’
"The English self-publishing scene in Bahrain is going strong, I believe. The more writers believe in themselves and push through the shell that keeps them from taking on huge challenges, the better for the country as a whole. Part of my mission is to enable more Bahraini authors to publish their books (whether through lectures, blogs or whatever)."
‘Chronicles of Majnun Layla & Selected Poems’: A Different Kind of Crazy
It’s easy to see why Ferial Ghazoul and John Verlenden would choose the “Chronicles of Majnun Layla” as the centerpiece of their Qassim Haddad collection, which brings together work that spans the Bahraini poet’s career.
Available This Month: Award-winning ‘Chronicles of Majnun Layla and Selected Poems’
Ferial Ghazoul and John Verlenden — both at the American University in Cairo — won last year’s University of Arkansas Arabic Translation Award for their collection Chronicles of Majnun Layla and Selected Poems of Qassim Haddad, by Bahrain’s great living poet. The book will be available at the end of this month from Syracus University Press: The Arkansas award followed a $100,000 … Continue reading Available This Month: Award-winning ‘Chronicles of Majnun Layla and Selected Poems’
Ferial Ghazoul and John Verlenden Win the 2013 University of Arkansas Arabic Translation Award
Ferial Ghazoul and John Verlenden -- both at the American University in Cairo -- have won this year's University of Arkansas Arabic Translation Award for their collection "Chronicles of Majnun Layla and Selected Poems of Qassim Haddad," by Bahrain's great living poet.
Iowa’s International Writing Program Sees First Participants from Yemen, Bahrain
Last week, 34 established writers from around the world began to arrive in Iowa City to participate in the University of Iowa's 47th International Writing Program (IWP) residency. This year sees the program’s first-ever participants from Yemen (poet and filmmaker Sawsan Al-Areeqe) and Bahrain (poet, short-story writer, and essayist Ali Al Saeed). Kuwaiti writer Nada Faris will also join.
Recent Interviews: Al-Tahawy on Childhood, al-Jallawi on Bahrain & Fadi Azzam on Writing Sex Scenes and Serving the Revolution
This week's "Making the Life of a Modern Nomad Into Literature," published in the New York Times, profiles Egyptian author Miral al-Tahawy. It discusses -- among other things -- her very brief time as part of the Muslim Brotherhood. It's mostly just snappy observations, and not an investigation of al-Tahawy's life or work. I was … Continue reading Recent Interviews: Al-Tahawy on Childhood, al-Jallawi on Bahrain & Fadi Azzam on Writing Sex Scenes and Serving the Revolution
‘Justice, Equality, and Freedom are Words in Arabic, Too’
At the moment, it happens that the collection at hand is Gathering of the Tide: An Anthology of Contemporary Arabian Gulf Poetry, ed. Patty Paine, Jeff Lodge, and Samia Touati.
Translating (or Appropriating) Bahrain: Cartoons in the Sand
At the intersection of creative appropriation, translation, cartooning, and journalism, Josh Neufeld creates his "Bahrain: Lines in the Sand." Neufeld wasn't in Bahrain during the recent protests that were violently put down with help from Saudi and UAE soldiers, but he cartoons about them nonetheless. How? Through the lens of two emerging cartoonists he met … Continue reading Translating (or Appropriating) Bahrain: Cartoons in the Sand
Documentary on Disappeared Bahraini Poet, Ayat Qurmazi
Via Sinan Antoon.
On Revolution and Bahraini Poet Qassim Haddad
During the middle days of the Egyptian revolution, a group of 137 Bahraini writers, artists, and intellectuals issued a statement in solidarity with the Egyptians' struggle for freedom and dignity. One of the signatories, according to Bahrain's Gulf Daily News, was celebrated Bahraini poet Qassim Haddad.
