Mohammad Hafez Ragab: Upsetting the Guards of Cairo
Maha Al Aswad sheds light on Egyptian writer Mohammad Hafez Ragab, a literary figure of the 1960s whose works have been vastly overlooked.
Essays
Meta’s Community Standards as a Tool of Digital/Settler-Colonialism
Omar Zahzah argues that Meta censors free speech for Palestine because it is a US dominant corporate platform that takes support for Israel for granted.
Forget Social Media—Government is the Real Threat to Freedom
The most dangerous gatekeepers aren’t social media platforms, but local, state and federal governments dictating what we can read and say.
Who Decides What Makes for Authentic Middle East Fiction?
In Nektaria Anastasiadou's experience, agents, publishers and editors often have peculiar ideas about what constitutes Middle East fiction.
My Life Among the Gatekeepers
Ammiel Alcalay writes of the gatekeepers who have affected every aspect of his writing, cultural, and public life.
Beyond Rubble—Cultural Heritage and Healing After Disaster
Art, activism, archaeology, and archiving are crucial for rebuilding and healing cities by combining the past and present.
Meditations on Palestinian Exile and Return
The essence of Palestinian resilience, survival, and resistance is rooted in dispossession, as noted by Dana El Saleh.
SPECIAL KURDISH ISSUE: From Kurmanji to English, an Introduction to Selim Temo
To celebrate the forthcoming publication of Selim Temo's "Nightlands," we present an introductory essay and two poems from the Pinsapo Press edition.
Morocco’s Bīylmawn Festival and the Threat of Cultural Attrition
The Bīylmawn festival has recently made a comeback but not everyone is pleased with the highly stylized and artistically reimagined carnival.
Dune in 2024: A World Beyond Saving
The meta-narrative in Frank Herbert's Dune trilogy foresees the modern disaster of never-ending colonialism and a planet destroyed by oil.
Flaubert’s Poison Pen
Flaubert's theory of meaning and form rests on a mystical conception of the nature of writing, alongside the theory of music in writing.
The Mourning Diaries of Atash Shakarami
The diaries provide a complex double-layered narrative of Nika as a victim of regime brutality, and of Atrash as a survivor of state horror.
The Butcher’s Assistant—a true story set in Alexandria
While studying abroad in Alexandria, Bel Parker becomes a butcher's apprentice to immerse herself in the local language and culture.
How to Write About Kurdistan
A writer's satirical guide on how to write about the hapless, subjugated Kurds, if you're not already filming them for a documentary.
Wajdi Mouawad’s “Controversial” Wedding Day
Al Jadid editor Elie Chalala finds that Lebanese intellectuals’ defense of expat director Wadji Mouawad contrasts with state chokehold on freedom of expression.