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.
A Nuanced Account of the Arab Nahda
A new bilingual literary anthology from the Arab renaissance of more than one hundred years ago is filled with writing that still resonates today.
Hard Lessons: North African Writers on Education
Books by authors from the Maghreb show a generational shift in views on the school systems they experienced.
A Scholar Who Has Explored Arab History Widely
A Lebanese researcher has wandered throughout Arab history during his extensive career and examined the region’s relationship with Ottoman rulers and European ideas.
