Mai Serhan on the poems in CAIRO: the undelivered letters
Mai Serhan is a Palestinian-Egyptian poet, writer, editor and translator. She is the author of, CAIRO: the undelivered letters and other titles.
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Poet Christopher Merrill on Flares, a book of prose poems.
Christopher Merrill "is one of the most gifted, audacious, and accomplished poets of an extraordinary rich generation."—W. S. Merwin
TMR Marks Five Years With Landmark New Anthology Showcasing SWANA Voices
Cover of the new book from TMR, The Best of The Markaz Review, 2020–2025, published September 2025 on the review's 5th anniversary.
Once Upon a Time in Gaza Wants to Be an Indie Western
The new feature from the Nasser brothers takes place in the context of Gaza's siege, but well before the present-day genocide.
Palestinian Cartographies—a review of Mapping My Return
Maps are narratives of the past, present, and future, powerful chronicles of presence and absence, ownership and theft, truth and lies.
September World Picks from the Editors
Literary conversations, films, exhibitions, concerts and several new recommended books for September to add to your reading list.
From Stitch to Symbol: The Power of Palestinian Tatreez
Palestinian embroidery is dynamic, and artists, designers, and makers are constantly finding new ways to innovate and reinterpret it.
Body Shaming—Woes of the Motherland
How do you practice self-acceptance the next time your mother admonishes you over a cookie or your body in general?
Arabic Was the Guest at This Year’s Avignon Festival
Arabic, France’s second-most spoken language, was featured at this year’s Avignon Festival, but is Arabic still the outsider's tongue?
Egyptian Novelist Skewers British Bureaucracy with Black Humor
Shady Lewis' new novel skewers British bureaucracy while exploring the immigrant experience with black humor and surreal situations.
Ali Cherri’s show at Marseille’s [mac] Is Watching You
Ali Cherri’s new show in Marseille, on view through the 4th of January 2026, deconstructs the museum from the inside out.
Brutally Honest Exploration of Taboo Subjects in Empty Cages
A novel that explores taboo subjects with exceptional craftsmanship, while reconstructing the “self” from pain and fragmented identities.
Ziad Rahbani: The Making of a Lebanese Jazz Legend
A look at Ziad Rahbani's life and legacy, and the man who first introduced him to the jazz sound that transformed Lebanon's musical landscape.
Without Women, the 2011 Revolution Might Have Never Been
The long history of Egyptian women's activism created the intellectual and political background for revolution.
Amal Doesn’t Even Know What a Banana Is: Child Malnutrition in Gaza
A writer in Gaza reports on the consequences of Israel's blocking humanitarian aid and medicines from entering the besieged territory.