All That Rage: On Comma Press’ Egypt +100
Alex Tan reviews a sci-fi anthology set in Egypt where all the writers aim to uplift the country from its post-revolutionary gloom.
Book Reviews
Nabil Kanso: Lebanon and the Split of Life—a Review
Sophie Kazan reviews a new book on the late Nabil Kanso, the Lebanese pacifist artist whose work depicted the horrors of war.
Israel’s Black Panthers by Asaf Elia-Shalev—a Review
In the 1970s Israel's Black Panthers rocked the establishment and brought the rampant discrimation against Arab Jews to light.
Three Worlds: Memoirs of an Arab-Jew by Avi Shlaim—a Review
Selma Dabbagh reviews Avi Shlaim's memoir about his coming-of-age as an Iraqi Jew, living as a minority in Israel and then in England.
Plenty of Marjanes & Leilas: Collective Strategies of the Women’s Protest in Iran
Marjane Satrapi's edited anthology "Woman, Life, Freedom" shows that the story of the movement cannot be told with only one voice.
Upheavals of Beauty and Oppression in The Oud Player of Cairo
Jasmin Attia's novel vividly portrays Egypt and Cairo by beautifully conjuring music and sound through descriptive prose.
Life Along Istanbul’s Byzantine Walls, a Review
Arie Amaya-Akkermans on a book that reviews not only Turkey’s social and political deterioration over the last decade, but also the violence of the past, both recent and distant.
The Battle for Climate Justice vs. Environmental Orientalism
Little-reported green colonialism is occurring in the sun-rich but water-deprived MENA region, writes Richard Lim in this review.
Is Amin Maalouf’s Latest Novel, On the Isle of Antioch, a Parody?
Farah-Silvana Kanan questions whether, in this novel, the Franco-Lebanese master is at the height of his powers, or is having us on...
This Strange Eventful History by Claire Messud —A Review
An entire family is preoccupied with its history and questions of national identity, confounded by France’s rejection of the pieds-noirs.
My Brother, My Land: A Story from Palestine
Saleem Haddad reviews the Sawalha family story that offers hope in resilience, resistance, and survival against all odds.
Forgotten & Silenced Histories in Moroccan Other-Archives
Language, gender, class, race, and geography shape citizenship in Morocco today, argues Brahim El Guabli in his latest book.
Palestinian Culture, Under Assault, Celebrated in New Cookbook
Fadi Kattan's Palestinian cookbook is a memoir of personal and familial memories, intriguing facts, and emotions, writes Mischa Geracoulis.
Man Is a Cause: Wisam Rafeedie & the Palestinian Revolutionary Novel
A classic prison novel by Wisam Rafeedie recounts the revolutionary fervor of Palestinian political prisoners.
Feurat Alani: Paris, Fallujah and Recovered Memory
Feurat Alani, a French novelist of Iraqi descent, succeeds in capturing the connections between two disparate cultural spheres.