Most recent articles by Claudia Kramatschek
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Book review: Kaouther Adimi’s "December Kids"Algeria's younger generation rebels
In her third and most recent novel, Paris-based Algerian author Kaouther Adimi writes almost prophetically about a rebellion by a handful of children against the rigid and outdated system in her home country. Claudia Kramatschek read the book for Qantara
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Book review: Bina Shah's "Before She Sleeps"A bleak future scenario
In "Before She Sleeps", which is set in the Muslim world of the twenty-second century, the Pakistani writer Bina Shah takes us on a dystopian journey into a future that may not be all that distant, where women attempt to take a stand against male domination. By Claudia Kramatschek
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Book review: Alice Zeniter's "L'Art de perdre"Rediscovering a lost chapter of (family) history
In her fifth novel, French author Alice Zeniter addresses some very thorny and painful issues in the history of Franco-Algerian relations. Demonstrating a profound knowledge of the subject matter, Zeniter's novel highlights the lot of the Harkis, Algerian Muslims who fought on the side of the French in the Algerian War of Independence. Claudia Kramatschek read the book
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Interview with Pakistani author Mohammed HanifLife in a war zone
It is his third novel – and the darkest one to date: in "Red Birds", Mohammed Hanif, the well-known Pakistani novelist and author, makes us re-think our Western notions about everyday life in a conflict setting. Interview by Claudia Kramatschek
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Book review: Joseph Andras′ ″De nos freres blesses ″A shameful chapter
Joseph Andras′ debut novel ″De nos freres blesses″ (Of Our Wounded Brothers) touches upon a sore spot in French history, recalling the time when Algeria was a French colony and French anti-colonialists fought alongside Algerians. Claudia Kramatschek read the book
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Non-fiction: Omid Nouripour's "What to Do about Jihadists?"Every day counts
What attracts young people to IS? What can politicians do beyond calling for ever "tougher measures"? In "What to Do about Jihadists? A Policy Approach to the War on Terror", Omid Nouripour delivers an in-depth analysis of the current terrorist threat – and various potential solutions. Claudia Kramatschek read the book
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Book review: Iman Humaydan′s ″The Weight of Paradise″Suppressed guilt, suppressed memories
In ″The Weight of Paradise″, the Lebanese writer Iman Humaydan, born in 1956, gives us a layered depiction of the individual and collective traces left on her country by the civil war. By Claudia Kramatschek
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Book review: Hisham Matar′s ″The Return″A painful void
In his new memoir, "The Return", the writer Hisham Matar confronts the ghosts of his past: the disappearance of his father, the expropriation of his country's history and the shattered dream of a new Libya. Claudia Kramatschek read the book
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Book review: Mahi Binebine′s ″Le Seigneur vous le rendra″Hoping for a better life
Mahi Binebine′s new novel "Le Seigneur vous le rendra" offers a great deal at once: insights into the life of a street child, a coming-of-age story – and a metaphor for Morocco after the Arabellion: By Claudia Kramatschek
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Interview with the Tunisian poet Najet Adouani"Nothing can stop me from spreading my wings"
In Tunisia, the poet Najet Adouani is regarded as a courageous fighter for both the free word and women's rights. Born in the south of the country in 1956, her most powerful weapons are the beauty of language and the poetry of her images. However, when it became clear that she was a Salafist target, she had to leave Tunisia at short notice. Adouani is currently living in Berlin, where Claudia Kramatschek met her
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Mona Eltahawy: "Why do you hate us so?"The Middle East needs a sexual revolution
As long as there is no true revolution, women in Islamic countries will remain second-class citizens, believes the controversial Egyptian journalist Mona Eltahawy. Claudia Kramatschek introduces her recent book
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Book review: Etel Adnan's "Conversations with My Soul"Illuminating the obscure
In 1980, the Lebanese artist and writer Etel Adnan published the book-length poem "The Arab Apocalypse", which to this day is still regarded as one of the most important works on the civil war in Lebanon. A selection of some of Adnan's works has been translated into German and published under the title "Gespräche mit meiner Seele" (Conversations with My Soul). A review by Claudia Kramatschek