‘Healing the Distance’: Successful Online Literary Events
Arab writers and scholars whose events literary events had to move online learned some quick lessons in what makes virtual gatherings succeed.
A Quarantine Reading List: Escapist Nonfiction from the Arab World
Readers who need a break from news of Covid-19 and chronicles of disease may find welcome relief in these books from the Middle East and North Africa.
Sheikh Zayed Book Award Honors Authors in a Virtual Event
The prestigious prizes could not be presented in person this year because of the Covid-19 pandemic, but the show went on virtually.
New Cairo Museum Honors Naguib Mahfouz but Doesn’t Inspire
Egypt celebrates its most famous modern writer in the long-delayed museum, which finally opened last year. Visitors may wish, though, that it had taken a more engaging approach.
Why the Split Between Classical and Everyday Arabic Endures
If Arabs want a true lingua franca, they must ease the rigid boundaries they’ve set up between the local dialects and the formal language.
Contemporary Arab Writers Offer a Fresh Take on the Historical Novel
Arab authors who have become interested in writing historical fiction often take a distinct perspective on the lives of ordinary people, instead of focusing on wars or politics.
University Press Draws New Readers for Renowned Syrian Playwright
The late Saadallah Wannous explored the meaning of human liberation, both personal and political. His work has been collected now for English speakers.
A Moroccan Publisher Reflects on the Struggles Independent Presses Face
At the Frankfurt Book Fair, Kenza Sefrioui gained insights on the problems faced worldwide by small publishing houses like hers.
Notable Books of 2018 From and About the Arab World
A sampling of scholarly and literary works and translations that offer new perspectives on the region.
An Online Arabic Dictionary Makes Its Debut
A tool created at Birzeit University will take machine translation of Arabic to a higher level.
