Was ‘Girls of Riyadh’ Raja’s ‘Rooster’s Egg’?
AHMED AL OMRAN: Her book caused an inevitable furore when it first appeared. So why haven’t we heard more from Raja Al Sanea?
Tim Mackintosh-Smith: Is He A ‘Yemeni National Treasure?’
STEVE DORSEY: I had the privilege recently to spend time in the company of the renowned British travel writer who lives in Sana’a. A truly impressive evening.
The Pros and Cons of Arab World Literary Prizes
M. LYNX-QUALEY: There’s always bound to be heated debate about the merits of judging literature but the Arab world’s literary prizes attract particularly warm discussion.
Two Syrian Female Activists Receive Global Recognition
MICH CAFE: One is a lawyer and human rights activist the other is a leading author but the bravery of both women has been acknowledged by a wider audience
Writing About Torture: Mechanism of Resistance
MOHGA HASSIB, ARABLIT: There is a debate among writers about how to treat the subject of torture. The acclaimed Lebanese writer Elias Khoury has firm views
‘This Is Not A Time for Fiction’: Arab Novelists’ Crisis
M. LYNX-QUALEY: Ahdaf Soueif said it first but many of her peers agree that the tumultuous events wracking the Arab world leave fiction irrelevant.
The Arab World’s ‘Olympic Poets’: Who’d You Choose?
M. LYNX-QUALEY: Thanks goodness we no longer have the embarrassment of the Olympics ‘Art Competitions’ but the UK’s Guardian newspaper did some nice work.
Shakespeare Does Iraq: Watch The Audience
SHELINA ZAHRA JANMOHAMED: A new version of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ set in Iraq which is now playing in London is winning over Iraqis and non-Iraqis alike.
The Politics Behind the Award of Literary Prizes
M. LYNX-QUALEY: Whether it’s the Nobel Prize or those closer to home there’s always a bit – or more – of politics when literary prizes are awarded.
Cultural Elite Fear the Worst in the ‘New Egypt’
M. LYNX-QUALEY: At the unveiling of Egypt’s most prestigious cultural awards there was a pervasive feeling of fear at what’s to come
Syrian Revolution Diairies: My Most Difficult Read
M. LYNX-QUALEY: It’s a harrowing experience that feels immediate and real because the events are still ongoing.
Beaten But Unbowed: Syrian Author Writes On
M. LYNX-QUALEY: His hand was broken by thugs last week but celebrated novelist Khaled Khalifa continues his work
Tunisian Writers Launch Campaign Against Censors
M. LYNX-QUALEY: Censorship is developing many tentacles in Tunisia today but writers are refusing to take attacks lying down
Tales from Prison: A New Twist on ‘1001 Nights’
NADA AKL, CGNEWS: Rather than the endless squabbles of politicians which dominate Lebanese debate we can now hear other voices.
Banned: A Day In The Life of a Kuwaiti Censor
M. LYNX-QUALEY: Kuwait always features highly in lists of press freedom in the Arab world but it keeps a tight rein on literature
Sinan Antoon: ‘The Barbarian Who’s Keeping It Real’
TABSIR: A celebrated novelist, poet and filmmaker Sinan Antoon reflects on life in Iraq before and after the fall of Saddam Hussein
Role of the Arts in Muslim World ‘Not Understood’
SHELINA ZAHRA JANMOHAMED: While arts from the Muslim world are widely celebrated in the West, they are less appreciated within umma.
Salafist War on Egyptian Culture ‘in Full Flow’
CROSSROADS ARABIA: Arrests of cultural figures, bans and now pharaonic statues covered in wax.
Do Books Matter in Contemporary Cairo?
M. LYNX-QUALEY: It may be Cairo’s oldest book market but heritage is no protector from increasing development
Palestine/Israel: A Tragedy ‘In The Purest Sense’
MICHAEL FELSEN, CGNEWS: The writing of Anton Chekhov provides a picture of how Palestinians and Israelis will end their conflict
