Happy Eid (Memories from Naguib Mahfouz)
The following passage is from Naguib Mahfouz’s Naguib Mahfouz at Sidi Gaber: Reflections of a Nobel Laureate, 1994-2001. The section is titled, as above, “Happy Eid.”
Poetry
Google Doodle Honors Taha Hussein
I didn’t see it yesterday, but Google Egypt reportedly celebrated the 121st birthday of Taha Hussein (the “dean of Arabic literature”) with the pictured “doodle.”
International Prize for Arabic Fiction Longlistees: Khairy Shalaby
Like fellow IPAF longlistee Bensalem Himmich, Khairy Shalaby is a widely-known author and a former winner of the Naguib Mahfouz prize.
International Prize for Arabic Fiction Longlistees: Fawaz Haddad
Syrian author Fawaz Haddad is the only author on the 2011 IPAF longlist who has been previously been a shortlistee. Haddad made the prize’s shortlist for his 2008 novel The Unfaithful Translator.
Arabic Booker 2011 ‘Lacks Integrity’?
Last year, the International Prize for Arabic Fiction (IPAF) was lambasted for its shortage of female authors—only one woman had been on each of the first three years’ shortlists—and this year it gets grief for ballyhooing its nearly 50-50 ratio of longlisted women (7) to men (9).
‘1,000-Book Campaign’ Aims to Re-establish Cultural Ties Between Egypt and Algeria
Finally, someone is seeking to restore sanity to Egypt-Algeria cultural relations.
International Prize for Arabic Fiction Longlistees: Bensalem Himmich
Himmich’s inclusion is indeed exciting. While not always penetrable—he is, after all, as much philosopher as fiction-writer—his work is innovative and rewarding. At his best, as in the Naguib Mahfouz Medal-winning The Polymath, he is very, very good.
International Prize for Arabic Fiction Longlistees: Miral al-Tahawy
Last night, publisher Dar Merit sent out a notice that the second edition of Miral al-Tahawy’s “Arabic Booker” longlisted Brooklyn Heights will go to press in a few days. The publisher also said that new editions of her other novels: الخباء، نقرات الظباء، و الباذنجانة الزرقاء are also in the works.
Longlist Announced for ‘Arabic Booker’ 2011
As predicted, this year’s International Prize for Arabic Fiction (“Arabic Booker”) longlist has more women than in previous years. This year’s longlist is nearly 50-50, with 7 women and 9 men.