En Liang Khong recently talked to Sudanese poet Al-Saddiq al-Raddi for the New Statesman; al-Raddi was recently fired as cultural editor of al-Sudani because of his politics. But, he told the NS: “…that won’t stop me from speaking my mind.”
Last night, Big Bridge editor Michael Rothenberg sent me a note that said, “this is the beginning of a more complete anthology.”
Libyan creative writer Hisham Matar writes as if he dreams; no detail is without a symbol or an emotional function.
Yet poetry, in its various forms, plays an important role in Yemeni society.
Recently, I’ve been trying to educate myself about literature from the Sudan(s). After all, her historic vote is just one small piece of the Sudan’s rich cultural history.
Encouraged by translator/scholar/writer Elliott Colla—who had an interesting short essay about Ibrahim al-Koni in yesterday’s Ahram Online—I thought we’d make this an al-Koni week. Although not an “Arab” writer, al-Koni is one of the giants of contemporary Arabic literature, and has a unique and world-encompassing literary vision.
This list is probably not for those looking to “understand” Palestine (or today’s aggression against a humanitarian-aid flotilla), but for those who want to celebrate or appreciate Palestinian arts, or […]
African Writing Online has a strange, funny, and sometimes awkward interview with Moroccan-American author Laila Lalami in its latest issue. It has some interesting moments, once the beginning awkwardness is […]
