Yemen is still thick in the U.S. headlines. Coincidentally, (unless you can think up some fabulous conspiracy theory involving writers, planes, bombs, and Christmas) the most recent issue of Banipal […]
I say this as though I’ve read all of the Egyptian lit published (in translation, in 2009), which I haven’t. Nonetheless: Moon over Samarqand, by Mohamed Mansi Qandil. Qandil isn’t […]
One Arabic novel (in English) makes the 2010 Best Translated Book Award list from “Three Percent” and Open Letter Books. It’s The Zafarani Files by Gamal al-Ghitani, which was translated […]
Elan has a piece about women being shortchanged on the IPAF (Arabic Booker) shortlists. This criticism follows that of Susannah Tarbush, published last month, but lacks her question: Why? Instead, […]
This piece would’ve been much more interesting as a Q & A. Instead we get Jeffrey Fleishman’s thoroughly chewed and swallowed, chewed and swallowed (and swished-around-in-his-mouth) ideas about Yemen and, […]
I understand and appreciate (and share, really) the American obsession with the new. What books came out in 2009? What will be released in 2010? Who’s the next Sonallah Ibrahim/Naguib […]
I will be out of the country (Egypt, that is) through the new year, and for the duration away from computers and screens and Internet connections, insha’allah. I’ll take my […]
An interesting short feature from Bikya Masr.
In a somewhat rambling but very informative piece on the Saudi Gazette, Susannah Tarbush asks “where are the women?” on the International Prize for Arabic Fiction, or “Arabic Booker,” shortlist. […]
