Unwanted Advice in Dhofar: It’s a ‘Love Thing’
DHOFARI GUCCI: On a recent visit to a supermarket I was confronted by someone I didn’t know who wanted to change my life. It’s an all too common occurrence
Immune to ‘Planning’: The Curious Dhofari Disease
DHOFARI GUCCI: If the Swiss are at one end of the planning spectrum then my fellow Dhofaris at the furthest extreme
Believe It: There’s a Latent Superhero In All of Us
SHELINA ZAHRA JANMOHAMED: The daily duties and responsibilities may grind down our inner superhero but the flame lives in every Muslim woman
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
About Death: “Waiting Around For Something To Wait For”
STEVE ROYSTON: There comes a time in your life when the “Big Issues’ that dominate your thoughts – sex and money, for instance – are usurped by death. I’m heading there.
Is the Divide Between ‘High’ and ‘Low-Brow’ A Myth?
M. LYNX-QUALEY: I confess – I read from both sides of the so-called ‘great divide’ in Egyptian literature. Should we even talk in these terms anymore?
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.
Rare Interview With Rawi Hage: ‘I’m Free To Be Difficult’
M. LYNX-QUALEY: He came to writing late and he writes in his third language but Rawi Hage has developed a compelling, distinctive voice
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
“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.
‘Last Storytellers of Marrakech’: There’s One Left
DEREK WORKMAN, VIEW FROM FEZ: It’s a culture that stretches back more than 1,000 years but it’s on the point of extinction
Exile and Alienation: A Father’s Letters To His Son
GEORGE EL HAGE, TABSIR: I felt it necessary to express directly to my son the feelings of loneliness, isolation and alienation felt by a Lebanese exile.
The Enduring Appeal of ‘The Very Human’ Ibn Battuta
STEVE ROYSTON: His skill, wit and humour have brought the great traveller, Ibn Battuta, vividly to life. The latest on his travels delivers again.
Poetic and Poignant: Lebanese Hymns of Love and War
TABSIR: They reflect the everyday struggles of a people whose land has been wracked by conflict and war.
Taha Hussein: Arab World’s (Nearly) Nobel Choice
M. LYNX-QUALEY: He was nominated twice but never matched the Arab World’s only Nobel literature prize recipient, Naguib Mahfouz.
The People and Events That Mattered in 2012: My Choice
STEVE ROYSTON: It’s by no means scientific or representative but here are the people and special moments that resonated with me this year
An Iraqi Icon: Fadhil Al-Azzawi Reviews His Career
AMIRA ABD EL-KHALEK, CGNEWS: He is one of the Arab World’s most revered authors and recently looked back on his life of writing.
The Trouble With Egypt: How To Explain To Children
MONA ELNAMOURY, ARABLIT: Fatima Almaadoul, a children’s author, has come up with an interesting way to talk to children about Egypt’s troubled present
New Venue Highlights ‘Literary Potential of Dubai’
M. LYNX-QUALEY: The opening today of a new venue in Dubai which encourages artists and authors to meet is further evidence of the growing cultural scene in the city
Children’s Books ‘A Powerful Way’ to Explain Islam
HENA KHAN, CGNEWS: As an author of children’s books that seek to explain some of the key precepts of Islam I’ve found they make a profound impact
