The cover of Awlad al-Nas / Children of the People, a trilogy by Reem Bassiouney
Dr. Reem Bassiouney’s latest work of fiction is a masterful, multi-generation epic set in Mamluk Cairo (1309-1517). The action moves out of Cairo at times, to Alexandria, Greater Syria, or the Western Desert, but it is focused around several historic buildings of Mamluk Cairo. There are also brief scenes from 2005-2017. For me, the heart of the book lies in the first of the three main stories, set in the 14th century.
This year in the MENA Lit Group on Goodreads.com we’re planning four group reads from Day 1, to be expanded if interest demands.
Here are our 4 seasons of reading for 2020:
Seven Days of Man by Abdel Hakim Qasem(January-March) | Set in an Egyptian village in northern Egypt in the Delta near Tanta, this classic novel tells a coming-of-age tale of a young man trying to find his place in the world.
An assembly of birds: The crow deciding whether the owl should lead the assembly of birds. Miniature painting from a 17th c. manuscript of Anvar-i Suhayli. Originally published/produced in India, 1610-1611.
With this bright new year of 2020, I’m sharing a few literary/artistic picks (two books and one music album) that were recently inspired by Conference of the Birds (منطق الطير), the allegorical poem by Farid al-Din Attar (lived in Nishapur c.
What’s fun to read if you’re learning Arabic? (And if you like shopping during the winter holiday season, you can think of these for a friend who is learning Arabic)…
The following are my personal favorites and go-to reads for Arabic learners and those interested in the Arab region:
Non-Fiction
Dreams of Trepass by Fatema Mernissi* *(first published 1994)
*Dreams of Trespass: Tales of a Harem Girlhood *by Fatema Mernissi (1940-2015)
I’d like to provide here several draft syllabi for those of you interested in teaching and research of the following topics. I support an open-source approach to knowledge, and am happy to follow up on these resources in conversation if you have any comments or questions.
Time Periods & Parameters of Arabic Literature In the field of Arabic literature, courses are usually designed as either “Modern” or “Classical.” The former refers to roughly the 19th century and later, with works considered “early modern” until around the time of the Second World War.
There is a particular pleasure in finding an author who writes in a style/genre that you learned to like in another language first. Helping someone else with such as discovery is just as fulfilling! The following inquiry came from a friend who teaches Arabic in a U.S. university. Her first language is English, but she is near-native in Arabic and wants ideas of fun books to read in Arabic (I’ve included English translations if available as well).
I’ve been pondering what my “10 for Libraries” list would look like ever since M. Lynx Qualey and Ursula discussed “Where to Start” (reading Arabic literature) on the Bulaq podcast, and as I’ve been seeing the various “10 for Libraries” lists posted on Arablit.org (first in the series here).
Novel: The Open Door by Latifa Zayaat – The classic feminist novel in Arabic. Set in 1940s-50s Egypt during anti-colonial struggles. A highly developed main character, showing her shifting relationships to family members, romantic partners, and her nation.
I recommend anything by Ahmed Salah Al-Mahdi, a bright new talent in the Arab World. His books provide great suspense, enchanting world building, satisfying storylines, and compelling characters.See here for his website, and here and here for two interviews with him.
His first book available in English is Reem: Into the Unknown. Review available here. Also available in Arabic wherever you get your books (including ebook at Kotobi, paperback at Neelwafurat, and Audiobook at Storytel).
Al-Buraq (ِِالبراق) is a supernatural creature in Islamic tradition that travels extremely rapidly. It appears in the context of the Prophet Muhammad’s miraculous night journey (Arabic Isra’ إسراء) from Mecca to Jerusalem, followed by the ascension (Ar. Mi‘raj معراج). This journey occurred on the 27th of Rajab in the Islamic calendar, and is remembered among Muslims every year. The journey is mentioned in the Quran only briefly (Quran 17:1). Al-Buraq and other details regarding the journey are given in Hadith (Traditions).
Vertigo, the thriller by Ahmed Mourad, came out in Egypt in 2007. It was a bestseller, which is saying something in the Arab World where reading fiction is not as popular as it is in Europe, for example. Curious, I added it to my to-read list, and just finished it. We had a group discussion here with the MENA Lit Group on Goodreads. Marcia Lynx Qualey (of Arablit.org) moderated, and English translator Robin Moger contributed.
