“Malika,” an excerpt from Abdellah Taïa’s Vivre à ta lumìere
In this excerpt from a chapter in his latest novel in French, Abdellah Taïa pays homage to his mother, his favorite heroine.
Category: Featured excerpt
“Fatima and The Handsome Jew”—Excerpt from Ali Al-Muqri’s Novel
In "The Handsome Jew" the novelist from Yemen recounts a powerful yet tragic tale of forbidden love.
Libyan Stories from the novel “Bread on Uncle Milad’s Table”
The Markaz Review presents Libya's Mohammed al-Naas in these exclusive excerpts translated by Rana Asfour.
Women and Literary Madness
Shahd Alshammari, a scholar of illness and disability, has written an extended study of literary madness.
Joumana Haddad: “Victim #232”
A preview of the new Arabic novel from the author of "I Killed Scheherazade" and "Superman is an Arab."
Steve Sabella: Excerpts from “The Parachute Paradox”
In these stories from his impassioned memoir, Steve Sabella works to decolonize the mind and liberate his identity.
Bakhtiyar Ali: “The Prisoner and the Plague”
From one of the most prominent contemporary authors and poets from Iraqi Kurdistan comes an unforgettable tale of oppression, and freedom.
Hawra Al-Nadawi: “Tuesday and the Green Movement”
Translator Alice Guthrie shares a preview of Al-Nadawi's exquisite 2017 novel "Qismet," a Kurdish story set in Iraq and Iran.
Hisham Bustani: “Intellectuals”
From the fabulous — some would say surreal — Jordanian storyteller who gave us "The Monotonous Chaos of Existence."
Palestinian and Israeli: Excerpt from “Haifa Fragments”
khulud khamis [sic], a Slovak-Palestinian writer living in Haifa, shares an excerpt from her novel in which Maisoon and Christina go on a journey.
Arguments Toward a Universal Palestinian Identity
Palestinian Israeli Maurice Ebileeni looks at the Palestinian experience within and beyond the homeland.
The Law and Politics of Food Sovereignty
Cultural anthropologist Matthew Canfield explains the socio-legal basics of food sovereignty and sustainable farming.