“Raise Your Head High”—new fiction from Leila Aboulela
Cairo-born novelist Leila Aboulela weaves the sad story of two sisters' alienation on the eve of the uprising in Tahrir Square.
Fiction
“Counter Strike”—a story by MK HARB
MK Harb, a writer from Beirut, remembers a tenuous sense of home as he searched for himself in adolescence.
“Mother Remembered”—Fiction by Samir El-Youssef
Palestinian writer Samir El-Youssef, born in a refugee camp, tells the story of his family's uprooting from Lebanon.
“Holy Land”—short fiction from Asim Rizki
Amal, a student who lives in a Palestinian refugee camp, takes up drama as an outlet for the Occupation blues, but is dealt a sad surprise.
Fiction: Inaam Kachachi’s The Dispersal, or Tashari
An excerpt from Inaan Kachachi's novel that laments the scattering of Iraqis across the world as a result of war and political oppression.
“The Truck to Berlin”—Fiction from Hassan Blasim
This bleak and hyper real short story by Hassan Blasim is reminiscent of Ghassan Kanafani's novella "Men in the Sun."
Broken Glass, a short story
When the society surrounding them begins to break down, a Beiruti family's troubles echo the macrocosm.
Beautiful Freedom For Sale, a short story
A Greek fisherman has to turn the corner on his lifelong passion, freeing himself from his past.
“Eleazar”—a short story by Karim Kattan
A Palestinian family mysteriously disintegrates while violence permeates the valley in which they reside.
“Anarkali, or Six Early Deaths in Lahore”—fiction by Farah Ahamed
Farah Ahamed finds in the unsung working class Anarkali a heroine for the ages.
Courage and Conviction—short short fiction from khulud khamis
In too many places around the world, the public space still belongs to men, and women often find themselves having to navigate their space.
“Ride On, Shooting Star”—fiction from May Haddad
In May Haddad's short story, Carna’ is a spacefaring mail carrier fed up with working for the Universal Courier Service who journeys to the edge of the universe.
“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.
“What Are You Doing in Berlin?”—a short story by Ahmed Awny
Egyptian writer Ahmed Awny divigates between fiction and reality in this decentering short story.
“Another German”—a short story by Ahmed Awadalla
An Egyptian refugee in Berlin, longing for a home of his own, hopes love is around the corner.