Literature
Iraq’s missed opportunity?
A recent posthumous memoir by the son of prominent Iraqi politician Mohammed Hadid leaves many questions unanswered about the viability and sustainability of Iraq's alleged "democratic moment", says Charles Tripp.
Read MoreA city for all ages
The multiplicity, contradictions and nuances of Cairo have been beautifully captured through the words of the city's writers, from the Fatimid period to present day. The Literary Atlas of Cairo brings together these diverse strands in a comprehensive and multi-faceted portrayal of this timeless metropolis.
Read MoreAn Arab in Ben Gurion airport
Should Palestinian writers write about subjects other than Palestine? Does doing so somehow serve to naturalise and accomodate the ongoing occupation? An evening of poetry in London pushes Anna Birawi to ask such questions, and to come to some unsettling conclusions.
Read MoreAn unsparing depiction of the human condition
Hassan Blasim's latest short story collection, The Iraqi Christ, offers a searing indictment of human suffering and savagery, shot through with flashes of beauty and hope, says Sarah Irving.
Read MoreReinventing Beirut
As a new edition of Zena el Khalil's Beirut, I Love You hits the shelves in North America, Sarah Zakzouk reflects on the complex imagery of an autobiography that is as much about a whole nation and region as the life of the author herself.
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