Literature

“You don’t have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them.” Ray Bradbury

 M.-Lynx-Qualey

Mona Prince – Writer, Activist, Contrarian. But Always ‘Herself’

Mona Prince – Writer, Activist, Contrarian. But Always ‘Herself’

ALEXIA UNDERWOOD, ARABLIT: She was a presidential candidate so it’s not surprising that Mona Prince has much to say about today’s Egypt

 M.-Lynx-Qualey

‘If Only’: A Young, Syrian Poet’s Searing Words

‘If Only’: A Young, Syrian Poet’s Searing Words

M. LYNX-QUALEY: A young Syrian poet writes about the horror that she has witnessed in her homeland.

 M.-Lynx-Qualey

The Arab Women Writers To Read: A Personal Choice

The Arab Women Writers To Read: A Personal Choice

M. LYNX-QUALEY: I’m a less than enthusiastic participant in the ‘Women to Read’ movement but here are some writers worth spending time with.

 M.-Lynx-Qualey

Five Books To Get You Started on Arabic Literature

Five Books To Get You Started on Arabic Literature

M. LYNX-QUALEY: ‘There’s far too much to choose from. Where do I start is?’ a common complaint. So here are a few primers.

 M.-Lynx-Qualey

‘Translating for Bigots’: One Author’s How-To Guide

‘Translating for Bigots’: One Author’s How-To Guide

M. LYNX-QUALEY: If you’re looking to communicate with an audience that is, let’s call it, less sympathetic to your views how should you go about it?

 M.-Lynx-Qualey

A Matter of Translation: Aswany Endures Fierce Attack

A Matter of Translation: Aswany Endures Fierce Attack

M. LYNX-QUALEY: He’s arguably Egypt’s best-known novelist but Alaa Aswany has come under ferocious criticism from his ex-translator

 M.-Lynx-Qualey

Tawfiq al-Hakim: Let’s Celebrate The ‘First’ Arab Novelist

Tawfiq al-Hakim: Let’s Celebrate The ‘First’ Arab Novelist

M. LYNX-QUALEY: Naguib Mahfouz himself saw him as the originator of the modern Arab novel. His work and his life are deserving of celebration

 M.-Lynx-Qualey

‘Thug’,’Infiltrator’: ‘What Do These Words Mean To You?’

‘Thug’,’Infiltrator’: ‘What Do These Words Mean To You?’

M. LYNX-QUALEY: Amira Hanafi, an Egyptian-American poet, is about to embark on a novel initiative inspired by her experiences in Tahrir Square during 25th January revolution

 Steve Royston

Meddle in Afghanistan: The Lesson from History Is Clear

Meddle in Afghanistan: The Lesson from History Is Clear

STEVE ROYSTON: My Summer reading has been dominated by books which consider how major powers, in particular Britain, have come to grief in Afghanistan

 M.-Lynx-Qualey

An Arab Nobel Prize Winner? Don’t Bet On It!

An Arab Nobel Prize Winner? Don’t Bet On It!

M. LYNX-QUALEY: It’s the same old names who are allegedly in contention for the Nobel Literature Prize according to the oddsmakers.

 Steve Royston

The Trench Revisited: Another View of Saudi, Oil and Progress

The Trench Revisited: Another View of Saudi, Oil and Progress

The Trench is the second in a quintet that explores the corruption of society by oil, and of those who extracted it, exploited it and enriched themselves in the process.

STEVE ROYSTON: The Trench is the second in a quintet that explores the corruption of society by oil, and of those who extracted it, exploited it and enriched themselves in the process.

 Tabsir

Midaq Alley: A Slice of Cairo Brilliantly Revealed

Midaq Alley: A Slice of Cairo Brilliantly Revealed

DANIEL M. VARISCO: The incomparable Naguib Mahfouz had a brilliant eye for the detail that revealed Cairo everyday life. Here’s one of my favourite passages.

 M.-Lynx-Qualey

PalFest 2013: Beyond ‘the Crisis Narrative’ To Art & Experiment

PalFest 2013: Beyond ‘the Crisis Narrative’ To Art & Experiment

M. LYNX-QUALEY: The organisers of this year’s Palestine Lit Fest have decided to ignore, as much as possible, the physical barriers separating Palestinians

 M.-Lynx-Qualey

Arab Writers at PEN: It’s Not Just About Politics

Arab Writers at PEN: It’s Not Just About Politics

M. LYNX-QUALEY: At major international writer events there seems to be an overwhelming focus on the politics of the region. Understandable but we’re neglecting a fuller picture

 M.-Lynx-Qualey

“If You Only Ever Read Five Arabic Books, Read These”

“If You Only Ever Read Five Arabic Books, Read These”

M. LYNX-QUALEY: So you’ve decided that there’s only enough time in your life to read five Arabic books (translated). Here’s a little help deciding which five.

 M.-Lynx-Qualey

Emirati Sci-Fi Author ‘In No Hurry’ To Translate

Emirati Sci-Fi Author ‘In No Hurry’ To Translate

M. LYNX-QUALEY: Noura Noman is delighted that her sci-fi novel in Arabic is appealing to primarily teenage audience starved of popular literature in their language

 M.-Lynx-Qualey

‘Revolution Against Classical Arabic Is Now Required’

‘Revolution Against Classical Arabic Is Now Required’

M. LYNX-QUALEY: There is a strong and growing sentiment against the constraints put upon writers in the region who write in a collloquial style

 M.-Lynx-Qualey

Popular and Acclaimed: The Voice of Arab Women?

Popular and Acclaimed: The Voice of Arab Women?

M. LYNX-QUALEY: Her latest novel has sold more than 100,000 copies within the first two months of release. She is, though, a sharply divisive figure

 M.-Lynx-Qualey

A ‘Compelling’ Vision of Cairo ‘In All Its Multiplicities’

A ‘Compelling’ Vision of Cairo ‘In All Its Multiplicities’

ELISABETH JAQUETTE, ARABLIT: Samia Mehrez has brought together a variety of writers’ views of Cairo over the past century.

 M.-Lynx-Qualey

Banned Egyptian Graphic Novel ‘Is Back on Shelves’

Banned Egyptian Graphic Novel ‘Is Back on Shelves’

ELISABETH JAQUETTE, ARABLIT: The re-publication of an infamous work could portend the arrival of a ‘golden age’ in Arabic graphic novels

1 2 3 5