Most recent articles by Volker Kaminski
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Book review: "Always Coca-Cola" by Alexandra ChreitehThe agony and the allure
Written when the author was only 19, Alexandra Chreiteh's first novel "Always Coca-Cola", focuses in a highly entertaining way on how three young friends in Beirut are affected by Western commercialisation and contemporary beauty ideals. By Volker Kaminski
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Book review: "Details" by Dima WannousEveryday life in a dictatorship
Dima Wannous' short story collection "Details", which was published in English several years ago, has recently been published in German translation. It centres on people from different layers of society who are united by a single fate: life in a dictatorial regime that has reached the end of the line but from which there still seems to be no escape. By Volker Kaminski
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Book review: "I'm Probably Lost" by Sara SalarSilent rebellion
Sara Salar's novel was published in Tehran in 2009. It was reprinted four times that year and won several literary awards. However, after 16,000 copies had been sold, the book was banned by the censor. Volker Kaminski read the German translation
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Fadhil al-Azzawi's novel "The Last of the Angels"Topical, thrilling and entertaining – even after 25 years
The publication of Fadhil al-Azzawi's novel in German translation is a sensation on the German book market, and its publication a late tribute to the internationally-renowned Iraqi author who wrote it 25 years ago. While "The Last of the Angels" remained unknown in Germany for a long time, the novel is already highly acclaimed in the Arabic- and English-speaking world. By Volker Kaminski
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Sabahattin Ali's novel "Yusuf"A modern-day Odysseus
The works of Sabahattin Ali are widely read classics in Turkey. The author suffered throughout his life from censorship and repression, yet his novels, with their modern multi-perspective narrative style and skilled social criticism, still hold up a mirror to the powers that be. Now, his novel "Yusuf" has been translated into German and published. By Volker Kaminski
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Book review: Rosa Yassin Hassan's "Guardians of the Air"Nine months of suffering, hope and fear
While Assad's regime seems more firmly ensconced than ever, and Syria seems to have descended into an apparently endless and brutal civil war, the novel "Guardians of the Air" by Rosa Yassin Hassan, a Damascus-based writer, provides an insight into the difficult lives of those directly affected by violence and displacement. By Volker Kaminski
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Interview with Habib Selmi"Tunisians Are Mature Enough"
The renowned Tunisian author and journalist Habib Selmi talks with Volker Kaminski about his most recent literary work and about the difficult situation of writers and artists in his homeland
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Assaf Gavron's Novel "The Hilltop"Message of Political Reconciliation
While the peace talks between the Israelis and the Palestinians have stalled once again, the Israeli bestselling author Assaf Gavron has just published a novel which takes as its theme the construction of an illegal settlement outpost in the middle of the West Bank. A review by Volker Kaminski
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The Film ''Zaytoun'' by Eran RiklisUnpicking the Hatred
The unusual film "Zaytoun" tells of the complex and unlikely friendship between a Palestinian refugee and an Israeli fighter pilot, and of the gradual consolidation of mutual trust on an ideological minefield. By Volker Kaminski
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Etgar Keret's ''Suddenly, A Knock on the Door''Following the Mysteries of Life into Hidden Corners
Etgar Keret has always refused to politicize his work, a fact illustrated by his dialogue collaboration with the Palestinian Samir el-Youssef on a book entitled "Gaza Blues". Volker Kaminski reviews Keret's new book of short stories, "Suddenly, A Knock on the Door"
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Amir Hassan Cheheltan's ''Tehran, Skyless City''Reflecting the Dark Side of Iran's Capital
In "Tehran, Skyless City", Amir Hassan Cheheltan describes the journey through life of an underdog who arrives in Tehran as an uprooted, orphaned inmate of a home and with a high degree of criminal energy, rises through the ranks to become the director of a torture prison. A review by Volker Kaminski
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Nemat Khaled's Novel ''Henna Night''Romantic Infatuation in a Refugee Camp
In "Henna Night", Nemat Khaled portrays an educated Palestinian woman in the thrall of unrequited love. The woman's feelings are so strong that they even block out the suffering in the refugee camp where she lives. A review by Volker Kaminski