Latest

27 June, 2025

Missiles and Rhetoric — a Tehrani Reflects on the “12-Day War”

A writer in Tehran surveys the wreckage after 12 days of missiles, bombs and rhetoric flying between Israel and Iran.

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27 June, 2025

Repression and Resistance in the Work of Artist Ateş Alpar

Defying a pervasive climate of self-censorship in Turkey, Kurdish artist Ateş Alpar grapples with cultural assimilation, historical erasure and methods of state control.

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27 June, 2025

July World Picks from the Editors

Literary conversations, films, exhibitions, and concerts … TMR World Picks run the gamut … 

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20 June, 2025

Life Under the Shadow of Missiles: the View From Iran

A writer-artist sits in a café in Tehran with a failing internet connection, risking life and limb to send his observations to TMR.

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TMR 52 • Freedom to Read

“Space Imam”—a story by Hassan Blasim

A story excerpted from Hassan Blasim’s forthcoming collection entitled "The Buried," to be published at the end of the year.

Fiction,

Latest Essays & Fiction

Essays • 4 July, 2025

Victor Hugo and Islam: A Literary Bridge Between East and West

Victor Hugo’s way still guides those building bridges across languages, faiths, and histories in a time of fear.

Essays • 4 July, 2025

Reading Between the Lines of Land

Trekking through the diverse terrains of Britain, Norway, and Saudi Arabia, a geologist embarks on a journey of self-discovery and reconnecting with her roots.

Fiction • 4 July, 2025,

“Waving at the Sky”—a story by Nahla Karam

Two women on the mend in the hospital, one a wife and mother, the other pining for a lover, both dream of a better life.

Essays • 4 July, 2025

Arab Writing in French: Claiming Space and Language

The “francophone” term limits books to the “Francophonie” section in French bookstores, and forces authors to focus on identity.

Books • 4 July, 2025

Are We As Free To Read Books As We Think?

We're not quite at "Fahrenheit 451" where books in pyres are burned in public, but our freedom to read faces significant threats.

Essays • 4 July, 2025

Architecture and Political Memory

In Iraq, buildings don’t simply reflect ideology — they absorb it, transmit it, and sometimes resist it. Especially when left unfinished.