10 Books for OUT OF OUR MINDS
A curated collection of fiction and non-fiction exploring the ways political and social unrest impacts mental health in the Middle East.
Book Reviews
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.
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.
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.
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.
Hope Without Hope: Rojava and Revolutionary Commitment
Matt Broomfield's new book explores the history of the Rojava revolution in Syrian Kurdistan as a model for global liberation movements.
Theft by Abdulrazak Gurnah—a Review
Gurnah's new novel, "Theft," is a post-colonial exploration of Tanzania, immigration, and the relationship between Africa and the west.
In Nasser Rabah’s Poetry, تقول القصيدة كلمتها
Nasser Rabah and other poets of Gaza are still writing — still sending their poems to us, because Palestine is literature.
Palestine’s Places and Memorials Are Not Forgotten
A profound meditation on the Palestinian landscape, on loss, neglect and the ravages of time, by Raja Shehadeh and Peggy Johnson.
The Book Censor’s Library by Bothayna Al-Essa—a Review
A tale set in the near-future exploring the world of banned books, repressed imaginations, dreams, and desires.
Memoricide Voided by Four Palestinian Women Diarists
"Voices of Resistance" stands as a vital work of testimonial literature that refuses to be forgotten, writes Francesca Vawdrey.
Interview: Joe Sacco on Gaza
Joe Sacco uses his graphic storytelling in "War on Gaza" to reflect on the events in the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023.
The Evin Prison Bakers’ Club — Review
Sepideh Gholian's book demonstrates that freedom, even in confinement, is a state of mind, where choosing life is part of the struggle.
An Intimate History of Violence: Beirut Under Siege in Nejmeh Khalil Habib’s A Spring that Did Not Blossom
Nejmeh Khalil Habib's latest teaches us that while there are and will always be survivors of horrors, the trauma is never forgotten.
The End of Civilization as We Know It—a Catastrophology
A review of how some of history’s greatest civilizations' collapse presents ominous parallels with our present predicament.