Last Day in Doha: A Few Photos from the Fair
Yes, if any photographers want to give me tips, I’m happy to hear them.
Poetry
Great Ideas: An Arabic Literary Salon in Louisville, Kentucky
Sophie Maier, superstar librarian* from Louisville, Kentucky recently emailed me about an Arabic literary salon being started up in her local library. Needless to say, I was delighted and fascinated. I asked Sophie a few questions, to which she graciously responded.
Banipal’s Take on Modern Tunisian Literature Disappoints
There are gems, of course, in Banipal39. And, as the only magazine consistently publishing new Arab and Arabic literature in translation, I do applaud their work.
International Prize for Arabic Fiction Longlist Profiles: Ibtisam Ibrahim Teressy
Ibtisam Ibrahim Teressy is a Syrian writer who has published four novels and two short-story collections.
Doha’s International Book Fair: A Focus on Children’s Lit
But, while book fairs in the UAE’s Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Sharjah have made international headlines, little has been said about the Doha International Book Fair, underway now.
International Prize for Arabic Fiction Longlist Profiles: Fatin Al-Murr
Fatin Al-Murr teaches French literature at the Lebanese University. Although she’s published two novels and a short story collection, most of what I can find about her online is about her scholarly interest in French-language Lebanese literature: for instance, here and here.
International Prize for Arabic Fiction Longlist Profiles: Razan Naim al-Maghrabi
No, this is not the Lebanese actress-singer; this is Razan Naim al-Maghrabi, a Libyan writer who has published five collections of short stories and two novels.
International Prize for Arabic Fiction Longlist Profiles: Khaled al-Berry
There’s a lot in the public domain about our friend Khaled al-Berry, as his memoir of his adolescent years—Life is More Beautiful than Paradise—is available both in Arabic and in English (translated by Humphrey Davies).
International Prize for Arabic Fiction Longlist Profiles: Maqbul Moussa Al-Alawi
Maqbul Moussa Al-Alawi is perhaps the most little-known writer on the Arabic Booker longlist. His biography is by far the shortest. About him, the IPAF organizers write that Al-Alawi “is a Saudi writer, whose stories and articles have been published in local newspapers. This is his first novel.”