Having started to translate my first novel from Arabic to English, I’ve been inspired to make a post here about translation. It’s a science and an art–tedious, but also very satisfying when you feel that you’ve succeeded.
Here’s a great article about translatability and the work of the translator. For Arabic-to-English translation, see the premier blog by M. Lynx Qualey. For magazines accepting short pieces, see her post here.
This is a list of recommendations for people (especially Americans) who want to educate themselves about the history and politics of Israel-Palestine.
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter’s book, Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid, which raised controversy for his description of the situation as apartheid.
Classic Fateful Triangle by Noam Chomsky. It can be dense due to so much detail, but if you want lots of facts, this one’s for you. For a summary, see A Synopsis of the Israel/Palestine Conflict.
I’m starting a list of publishers here for literature of the Middle East and North Africa. Tell me if you know of more that should be added…And here is another helpful list.
Egypt CairoBookStop / محطة كتب القاهرة is a great tool for locating books in Cairo, designed by Nancy Linthicum and Michele Henjum
Dar al-Hilal / دار الهلال- affordable paperback literature, also a magazine
Dar al-Shorouk / دار الشروق – fiction and non-fiction, in Arabic
This post is a place for collecting all the interesting projects I’ve found in the UK and Europe that showcase arts and culture from the Arab world. More to follow…
London Mosaic Rooms
Algerian Coffee Stores
Arab British Centre
Nour Festival of Arts (annual)
Paris L’Institut du monde arabe
Arabic Bookstore La Librairie Avicenne (Near Metro Station Jussieu)
From Couronne Metro Station, you can see a street that goes down, and is full of bookshops.
My academic training is in Arabic literature. By literature, I don’t mean written materials alone. I mean instead the manipulation of language in all of its various forms (whether stories, poems, rhymes, etc.) to reach an audience–expressing feelings, communicating experiences, asking questions, offering advice, and so on.
When I first studied in Morocco, I had to reevaluate my own definition of literature. Having grown up in a very bookish anglophone family, it took some adjustment to understand how people can live quite fully without any great use of books in their lives.
بتحكي عربي؟ بتحب الادب؟ عندنا فرصة لمناقشة الادب(العربي خاصةً) بالعربي بأي نوع (المصري، الشامي، المغربي، إلخ..) مرة كل اسبوع يوم الأحد 3:30 – 4:30 مساءً (Eastern Standard Time)
على Google Hangouts اتصل بي للمشاركة احنا بنقرى “الساق على الساق” للشدياق حالياً
Here’s a shout-out to all my favorite book dealers…
مدبولي Madbouli Bookshop 6 Talaat Harb Sq. – Cairo, Egypt
الأزبكية Al-Azbakeyah open market for used books – Cairo, Egypt
ديوان Diwan bookstores – Cairo, Egypt
دار الشروق Dar El Shorouk 1 Talaat Harb Sq. – Cairo, Egypt
دار الهلال Dar El Hilal 16 Mohamed Ezz El Arab St. – Cairo, Egypt
Librairie Stephan Achrafieh Street – Beirut, Lebanon
دار الساقي Dar Al Saqi, Binayat al-Nur, Sh.
YA Arabic Fantasy Fiction I recommend anything by Ahmed Salah Al Mahdi, a bright new talent in the Arab World. I’ve dedicated another post to his work here.
Sonia Nimr’s middle-grade novel طائر الرعد / Thunderbird – See here for Marcia Lynx Qualey’s interview with the author. Qualey’s recommendation of طائر الرعد / Thunderbird in the third Bulaq podcast won me over! Arabic review by Ahmed Salah Al-Mahdi here. Available in 2022 in English (from Amazon and other booksellers).
YA Arabic Fantasy Fiction I recommend anything by Ahmed Salah Al Mahdi, a bright new talent in the Arab World. I’ve dedicated another post to his work here.
Sonia Nimr’s middle-grade novel طائر الرعد / Thunderbird – See here for Marcia Lynx Qualey’s interview with the author. Qualey’s recommendation of طائر الرعد / Thunderbird in the third Bulaq podcast won me over! Arabic review by Ahmed Salah Al-Mahdi here. Available in 2022 in English (from Amazon and other booksellers).
Several people have asked me for suggested reading from Moroccan literature. Here are some ideas… For language learning: Sakulich, Aaron. Moroccan Arabic: Shnoo the Hell is Going on Hnaa? A Practical Guide to Learning Moroccan Darija (2009) Novels: Mhani Alaoui’s two novels: Dreams of Maryam Tair: Blue Boots and Orange Blossoms (2015) for fiction with modern Moroccan history and magical realism, and Aya Dane (2018) for contemporary fiction beginning in Boston and exploring creativity, identity, and displacement.
