Arabic literature

Jan Dost on writing in Arabic and Kurdish

"Like being caught between two magnets"

"Safe Corridor" is Jan Dost's first novel translated into English. The prolific Syrian writer explores the hardening impact of war on children and discusses the key differences between writing in Kurdish and Arabic.
Bushra Khalfan's "Dilshad"

Three generations of Omani history

Bushra Khalfan's award-winning "Dilshad" traces the story of one family through 20th-century Oman, shedding light on the untold stories of marginalised women and their fight for agency.
Samia Mehrez's "The Many Lives of Ibrahim Nagui"

Reframing a divided legacy

Ibrahim Nagui was a pioneer of Egyptian romantic poetry. In this new part-biography, part-memoir, his granddaughter Samia Mehrez offers an intimate view of his work and influence.
New Choukri translation

The absurdist frame

In Mohamed Choukri's varied and experimental collection "Tales of Tangier" the hyperreal meets the bizarre. The off-kilter stories put forward by the late author seem to be set spinning on their edges, so fast and wild they might just fly off the page
Najat Abed Alsamad's "Kein Wasser stillt ihren Durst"

Searching for life

Najat Abed Alsamad's award-winning novel, "La Ma'a Yarwiha", has been published in German translation as "Kein Wasser stillt ihren Durst" (No water quenches her thirst). In it, she tells the story of a young Druze woman who roundly rejects the traditional rules imposed on her by her parents and relatives and begins a long fight for her freedom
Zakaria Tamer's "Sour Grapes"

Always subversive

Playing with language in his short-short collection "Sour Grapes" – now in English translation – Syrian writer Zakaria Tamer doesn't hesitate to employ the winking humour, quick reversals and archetypes that are a part of his wide appeal
A year of war in Sudan

"We haven't lived in dignity for a long time"

In her debut novel "A Mouth Full of Salt", Sudanese author and physician Reem Gaafar tells the intertwined stories of three women who are confronted with injustice. A conversation about responsible writing, role models and the forgotten war in Sudan
Sherko Fatah's Great Wish

A daughter estranged

In his new novel "Der große Wunsch", award-winning author Sherko Fatah tells the story of a father whose daughter meets a supporter of IS and follows him to the Syrian war zone
Sudanese literature

Children to fill the entire earth

Stella Gaitano's debut novel "Edo's Souls", set between Sudan and South Sudan, stages an epic battle between the forces of Motherhood and Death
Fikra culture magazine

Showcasing Palestinian perspectives

Fikra culture magazine publishes literature and art by Palestinians from all over the world. The editors hope it will serve as a platform for the dispersed community to debate and dream – and defend itself against censorship from all sides
Ali Al-Kurdi's novel "Der Schamaya-Palast“

A heavy burden

Palestinian author Ali Al-Kurdi fled to Syria with his family as a child. In his novel, he recounts the fate of the Palestinians who found shelter in the Jewish quarter of Damascus
Adania Shibli, the Frankfurt Book Fair and the LiBeraturpreis

Litprom under fire

Palestinian author Adania Shibli was to have received Litprom's LiBeraturpreis at the Frankfurt Book Fair. Writers from around the world have criticised the organisation in an open letter for postponing the award ceremony. By Nikolas Fischer