Tag Archive | Arabic Literature
From Arabic Literature – Iraqi Literature in Translation: A Brief Introduction
Arabic Literature in English has compiled another one of her excellent lists on books in translation, this time Iraqi Literature in Translation. My list is anything but comprehensive. (For instance, several authors who made the Arab Writers Union’s “Top 105″ list are not here because they haven’t been translated.) If you’re looking for more seasoned [...]
Arabic Summer Reading Challenge at Arabic Literature (in English)
Arabic Literature (in English) is having a summer Arabic reading challenge. There are prizes too! To participate: Simply post at the bottom which ONE of these Arabic books (in translation or not) you will read this summer.* I will select a reading-challenge winner on August 20, 2010** and ship her (or him) a bundle of [...]
The 100 Best Arabic Books – According to the Arab Writers Union – via Arab Literature In English
The blog Arab Literature (In English) is running a feature on the 100 best Arabic Books according to the Arab Writers Union. You could go to the Writers Union page and run Google Translate and you would get a list with a few errors (The Cairo Trilogy by Mahfouz is the most egregious). But in [...]
Banipal – New Egyptian Writing (Spring 2006)
I only found out about Banipal a week or two ago and thought of buying a copy, but at 18 pounds for 3 issues (not too bad) and 17 pounds for shipping (ridiculous) forget that. Fortunately, I live near a major university and they have a subscription. I read through issue 25, New Writing from [...]
New Arablic Lit
I have been enjoying the blog Arabic Literature (in English) recently (written by a fellow Quarterly Conversation contributor M. Lynx Qualey). The blog is full of information about Arabic Literature, usually noting what is available in English, but also mentioning issues that are going on in the world of Arabic writing. Recently the blog has [...]
Season of Migration to the North and Tayeb Salih Reviewed in Harpers
There is an excellent review of Season of Migration to the North by Robyn Creswell in Harpers (via Powell’s). The review goes beyond the typical East-West polemic that usually comes out in reviews (something I noted in my own review). Many critics have noted that Season of Migration to the North is in some sense [...]
Leila Abouzeid and Autobiography in Arabic
Geoff Wisner has an interesting post at Words Without borders about Leila Abouzeid’s new book. He quotes her reasons for while autobiography isn’t as common in Arabic. What she talks about is interesting in how culture is reflected in the use of language. In addition, autobiography has the pejorative connotation in Arabic of madihu nafsihi [...]
Season of Migration to the North – A Review
Season of Migration to the North is a difficult book to forget, one that posses difficult questions in the relations between the developed world and those from outside of it. A brief book, the economy and mystery create a view of the developed world that is troubling at best and hopeless at worst. Season follows [...]
New Story By Hanan al-Shaykh
Hanan al-Shaykh has a new story available in English. I’m a big fan of hers and it is nice to see something new available. I think the last book available was Only in London. You can read a little about her newest endeavor at the Saudi Gazette. (via Words Without Borders)
Review of Modern Arabic Fiction in Al-Ahram
There is a good review of the Modern Arabic Fiction: An Anthologyin Al-Ahram Weekly. Of particular interest is the process the editor used in having the stories translated. Instead of translating them all herself she uses a team. Likewise, in her anthologies, she argues that only poets can render poetry and only fiction writers can [...]
Arabic Translation – A History
The Complete Review has a link to a review in the National of a new history of translation and Arabic, Prison-house of Language. The author raises some interesting issues about translation and power, but what caught my eye was this paragraph. The translation of Arab literature into western languages yokes it to western sensibilities and [...]
Alaa Al Aswany Reviewed in the New York Times
The New York Times has a mixed review of Alaa Al Aswany’s new book. The reviewer doesn’t like it quite as much as the The Yacoubian Building. The book, which takes place in the US, does sound a little off and not as interesting as The Yacoubian Building. Al Aswany writes about his Egyptian characters with [...]
New Arabic Literature
Literary Salon has a nice write up of an interesting link to a new book on modern Arabic literature. It sounds interesting and has great promise. When I was reading the article I went to the publisher’s site and if you are interested in Arabic literature the next year has some promissing offerings. I think [...]
