Latest
In Killing Gilda Yahya Gharagozlou Tells an Intriguing Iranian Tale
A review of a book that offers a portrait of a royal dynasty whose decline has significantly shaped the modern world.
Art History and the United Arab Emirates
Sophie Kazan Makhlouf challenges misconceptions that an authoritarian government precludes politically-critical cultural production.
10 Recommended Stories in The Markaz Review 2024
TMR's five main editors have selected two of our favorite stories of the year for your reading pleasure. Of course, we are utterly subjective.
January 2025 World Picks from the Editors
Film & photography festivals, concerts, art, standup comedy, lectures...TMR World Picks run the gamut and are selected by our editors.
TMR 47 • GENRE FICTION
Centerpiece
“Not a Picture, a Precise Kick”—metafiction
A writer from Cairo imagines a chance encounter between two writers in Prague enamored of Kafka.
Featured Artist
Palestine Features in Larissa Sansour’s Sci-Fi Future
Larissa Sansour is a Palestinian-born artist whose photography, film, sculpture, and installation art is bound up with visions of the future.
Poetry Markaz
Lena Khalaf Tuffaha: Two Poems
Lena Khalaf Tuffaha won the 2024 National Book Award for her latest collection of poems, "Something About Living."
Annahita Mahdavi West: Two Poems
Iranian American poet Annahita Mahdavi West presents two poems, "Exile" and "City of War" from her book "Dusty Relic."
TMR Interviews
Mounir Fatmi—Where Art Meets Technology
Sophie Kazan Makhlouf interviews international Moroccan artist Mounir Fatmi on his studio practice, why he makes art, and what he thinks of global audiences.
Aïda Nosrat of Atine: Artist at Work
Jordan Elgrably interviews free-spirited Iranian performer Aïda Nosrat on music, exile, freedom, and a passion for mixing cultures.
Latest Essays & Fiction
10 Recommended Stories in The Markaz Review 2024
TMR's five main editors have selected two of our favorite stories of the year for your reading pleasure. Of course, we are utterly subjective.
Criticizing a Militaristic Israel is not Inherently Antisemitic
The conflation of antisemitism with political criticism of Israel not only stifles free speech; it makes Jews less safe around the world.
Return to Damascus…the Long Road Home
A son of Hama — a former prisoner and now a TV correspondent — takes his first steps towards his country in over a decade.
Kareem’s Story, Excerpt from The Home I Worked to Make
A Syrian medical student from Damascus, forced into exile, shares his story with political scientist Wendy Pearlman — anonymously.
“Not a Picture, a Precise Kick”—metafiction
A writer from Cairo imagines a chance encounter between two writers in Prague enamored of Kafka.
“The Head of the Table”—a story by Natasha Tynes
A celebration quickly spirals into a lifetime of trauma when an unforeseen 'head' makes a shocking appearance.