Banipal 64 Spring issue features Hanan al-ShaykhBanipal Spring issue features Hanan al-Shaykh, the Lebanese, London-based author of many novels and a collection of short stories, with seven in English translation and at least 27 other languages. Entitled A Rebel named Hanan al-Shaykh, the feature reveals her as a natural rebel who discovered as a teenager that a writer should “not be held back or embarrassed about writing about anything” and whose spirit of rebellion has stayed with her, enriching the Arab literary scene since her first works. The feature includes testimonies, an in-depth interview, reviews of four novels, and the one-act play Dark Afternoon Tea.
Susannah Tarbush reviews "Sophia: or, The Beginning of All Tales" by Rafik SchamiIn this exuberant novel, the Syrian-German author Rafik Schami weaves an intricate tapestry of love, sectarianism, exile, oppression and revolution, extending from the late 1920s to early 2011. The rich 444-page non-linear narrative presents a multitude of characters and storylines in settings from Damascus, Homs and Beirut to Rome and the German city of Heidelberg
Suheir Abu Oksa Daoud reviews: An Introduction to Modern Arab Culture by Bassam Frangieh,This book is an excellent resource for the general reader, and for undergraduate and graduate students. It provides very useful and important analysis and thoughtful discussion on major questions and issues influencing the region’s cultural dynamics. It is also a good source to establish deeper understanding of the range of the complex issues in the Middle East—an important and rapidly changing area of the world.
Longlist for 2019 International Prize for Arabic Fiction The International Prize for Arabic Fiction (IPAF) has today, Monday 7th January 2019, revealed the longlist of 16 novels in contention for the 2019 prize. The novels selected by the judges were chosen from 134 entries, all published in Arabic between July 2017 and June 2018.
A Cloudy Day on the Western Shore by Mohamed al-Mansi Qandil A Cloudy Day on the Western Shore explores questions of Egypt’s identity and history, and the implications—for better or worse—of European exploitation of the treasures of pharaonic civilization. Novelist Qandil skillfully allows readers to encounter complex questions of colonialism, gender, and sectarianism—all through the symbolic lens of an unlikely Egyptian heroine.
“The Basil Revolution” a short story by Yemeni writer Wajdi al-AhdalWe were surrounded by a truly festive atmosphere in which everyone felt an indescribable, overwhelming happiness. Our morale was sky high, and eyes gleamed with optimism and hope – two things that Yemenis had missed bitterly for the past thirty years. I caught this infectious delight, which coursed through my spirit. For the first time in my life, I felt I was standing on free Yemeni soil.
Iraqi Fiction in Banipal magazine 61Banipal has always paid great attention to Iraqi literature. Over the years we have published features containing both fiction and poetry. This issue marks the first time we have concentrated solely on the Iraqi novel and not included poetry. This is purely to introduce some good examples of Iraqi novels, not for any other reason. It was not in our mind to make any judgement between fiction and poetry. Four Iraqi critics write in this feature that Iraqi intellectuals are nowadays expressing themselves through fiction, not poetry.
"What the Storytellers did not tell" A short story by Iraqi writer Lutfiya al-DulaimiMany women crossed paths with his, and in the midst of his longing they glowed then fizzled out, leaving behind fallen momentos from which he made a wax monument of the woman he coveted. His deep passion, confused but solid, began with a painful obsession with a woman he called Sheherazade, the one perpetually beyond reach. His infatuation gave way to a slavish resignation that came with the expected pleasures but drained the soul in a series of attachments to women where he sought some of Sheherazade’s
ROBIN MOGER wins 2017 Saif Ghobash Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary TranslationThe 2017 Saif Ghobash Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary Translation is awarded to Robin Moger for his translation of the novel The Book of Safety by Yasser Abdel Hafez, published by Hoopoe Fiction. After four novels made the first shortlist of the prize, announced on 1 December 2017, the judges are unanimous in naming Robin Moger as the winner of the £3,000 prize, to be awarded by the Society of Authors on 1 March 2018.
The Last Jew of Tamentit Excerpt from a novel by Algerian writer Amin ZaouiHer last husband, who was the imam and muezzin of the mosque in Tidikelt, had drawn her attention thanks to his beautiful voice when it reminded the faithful to pray to their God five times a day. At first, the muezzin had been a little disconcerted when he’d heard his wife speak to her bees in Latin
Palestinian literary scholar and writer Issa J Boullata died at the age of 90
A distinguished literary scholar, translator, and professor, he will be missed by the many people whose lives he touched, the students, colleagues, readers and others who benefitted from his teaching and his cultural and academic accomplishments. Knowledge of a language is more than being instructed in its rules, it is an immersion into its culture and thought. This conviction is what made Issa a memorable and beloved educator.
"Wandering the Cities While Dead" a short story by Sargon Boulus
She said: “No! He is a lost boy, a boy without parents – stolen, I suspect. We are gypsies, as you know, thieves, and travellers in all remote parts of the earth. We go after the spring clouds and we run away from the rain and the heat. We can only live between seasons. Then my husband became frail and absorbed the customs and practices of the cities. I am talking to you about the man who is dying here behind me now.”
Sheikh Hamad Award for Translation and International Understanding is accepting nominations for year 2019
Sheikh Hamad Award for Translation and International Understanding (SHATIU) is accepting nominations for year 2019 in the following categories:
Shortlist announced for 2019 International Prize for Arabic Fiction in JerusalemTuesday 5 February, 2019: Hoda Barakat, Adel Esmat, Inaam Kachachi, Mohammed Al-Maazuz, Shahla Ujayli and Kafa Al-Zou’bi have today been announced as the six authors shortlisted for the 12th International Prize for Arabic Fiction (IPAF). Each of the six shortlisted authors will receive $10,000.
The books were revealed by the judging panel during a press conference held at the Palestinian National Theatre – El-Hakawati in Jerusalem. The judges who were unable to travel to Jerusalem joined via video link.
LUKE LEAFGREN wins the 2018 Saif Ghobash Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary Translation
The translation by Luke Leafgren is imperceptible and mirrors the writer's many changes of register. The author is fortunate to have found a translator totally in sympathy with his writing. Faced with many difficult choices, Leafgren has produced a work both faithful to the Arabic and a work of art in English.
AHMED MORSI - THE FLYING POET - AICON GALLERY, NEW YORK
Shahad al-Rawi Iraqi Writer Wins Book Festival's First Book Award
The First Book Award celebrates the wealth of new fiction from the UK and around the world featured in the Book Festival public programme and is voted for by readers and visitors to the Festival. The winner was chosen from the 49 debut novels and short story collections for adults and young adults eligible for the Award this year.
PICNIC a poem by Samuel Shimon
The dirham had been transformed into a smooth piece of metal with neither head nor tail. My sipped his beer as I inspected the dirham. Then with his right index finger he prodded me hard on the chest, and pointed to the flattened dirham and to the ground. I understood what he was telling me: “If you stay in this country you’ll end up like this dirham.” He tossed the piece of metal high into the air and broke into loud laughter."
Sherif Hetata "The Military Prison" Excerpts from the Memoir
The door of the room opened with a soft creak. A weak, faint light crept into the room, and I could see a figure standing in the doorway. Suddenly the light switched on, overpowering me so that I could not see anything. I saw a tall man with a pale face enter the room, pointing a black object at me. He said with a high-pitched voice ringing strangely in the silence, “I believe you are Dr. Sherif Hetata?”
"Baghdad Noir" Presents A City Of Diverse Experiences
Yes, some of these stories go on too long, or have uneven structures, or leave out details that might make them stronger, but I was captivated by seeing how different they all were, how all of these accomplished writers deal with a genre they hadn't played around with before (at least not much). Some of Akashic's Noir titles take place in regions known for idyllic conditions, and their power derives from the contrast. That these writers have wrested surprise from a country with so little peace makes Baghdad Noir one of the most interesting of the lot.
A poem by Omani poet Mohamed Al-Harthy
Oh, don’t bother yourself with it, my boy, don't bother. The English beat Hitler and the Axis powers while we were still suckling our mother’s milk. So I think they can fix the defects of Bedford trucks and these Land Rovers. It is their craftsmanship, and we learned it from them, then mastered it in Baluchistan and in the garages of the Sultan’s Special Forces, which would not have won over the imams if it hadn’t been for those vehicles, despite their numerous defects.
Salma Hayek: I Saved My Belly Dancer
New York-based Egyptian artist and photographer Youssef Nabil’s film is a poetic depiction of his fascination with belly dancers and his anxiety over the disappearance of this art form that is unique to the Middle East. This excerpt of a 12-minute video installation is visually inspired by the 1950s
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