News

Translator Kareem James Abu-Zeid must have been pleased to see this name on the IPAF—or Arabic Booker—shortlist, for his novel America. He recently said of the prolific Lebanese author: “The […]

And the shortlisters are: Mansoura Ez Eldin (Egypt) – Beyond Paradise Muhammad Al Mansi Qindeel (Egypt) – A Cloudy Day on the West Side Rabee Jabir (Lebanon) – America Abdo […]

The current issue of the well-respected Edinburgh Review, 127, is focused on Iraq. There’s poetry by Saadi Youssef and others, well, unknown to me, as well as photographs, fiction, and […]

Most of the “best-of” lists I’ve seen in the U.S. and U.K. presses are awash with the regulars: Alice Munro, Lydia Davis, ta-di-di-dah. Of course, they’re lovely writers. But! Occasionally, […]

The award–a silver medal and cash prize–has been presented each year since 1996. The medal’s presented on December 11, Mahfouz’s birthday. Tonight, it’s to be delivered by Prof. Rasheed el-Enany. […]

The Last of the Angels, Fadhil al Azzawi, Free Press, 2008 This book, by al-Azzawi, is full of appealing, over-the-top black comedy as well as those moments when comedy no […]

Words Without Borders is featuring international science fiction this December. Unfortunately, there are no offerings from the Arabic (I would love to read a narrative about 22nd century Cairo), but […]

Ahmed Alaidy’s Being Abbas El Abd shares the sinews of Palahniuk’s Fight Club—yes—and the wounded center of other boy-lit I’ve read. It’s also, of course, Egyptian, and redeemed by a […]

“Pragmatic politics has nothing to do with literature. If you ask me about a pragmatic solution, I think all this complication can be solved in two minutes. There are occupied […]