TMR’s Top 10 Must-Read Memoirs in 2025
A curated selection of memoirs for 2025 featuring captivating stories that provide deep insight into the human experience.
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Resilient Cartographies: Histories of the Persian Gulf
History writing opens the door for the writers and their readers to see the Persian Gulf as a connecting point rather than a delimited void.
Memories of Palestine through Contemporary Media
Malu Halasa reviews a psycho-social-virtual memoir of Palestine of both emotional and geographic proportions.
The Closed Door—Return to Syria
After 13 years away, writer Odai Al Zoubi returns to Syria following the Assad regime's collapse, aiming to reconnect with a lost time.
“The Last Third of the Night”—a story by Dia Barghouti
A woman invited to a wedding wants to leave her house and return, but only if she can be certain of the return.
Baxtyar Hamasur: “A Strand of Hair Shaped Like the Letter J”
Baxtyar Hamasur has dedicated his life to stories, even wearing a pair of story glasses. “I see everything as a story,” he says.
Flight Plans: From Gaza to Singapore
Palestinian civil aviation is not only a symbol of freedom, but is deeply connected to their quest for sovereignty.
What Remains: Voice and the Poetry of Forugh Farrokhzad
In which Farah Ahamed remembers losing her voice as a result of personal tragedy, and relates to the poetry of Forugh Farrokhzad.
Chronicles of a Boy Manqué
Growing up a "Boy Hassan" in Latakia, Rana Haddad refused to wear a dress and act like a lady, bucking the conventions of her day.
“Culinary Palestine”—Fadi Kattan in an excerpt from Sumud
Celebrity Palestinian chef Fadi Kattan presents stories and recipes from his long experience cooking in Bethlehem and beyond.
Yassini Girls—a Powerful Yet Flawed Account of Historical Trauma
Natasha Tynes reviews a Palestinian novel that thoughtfully examines intergenerational trauma, making it an insightful and worthwhile read.
Three Nights in Free Syria
Filmmaker Yasmin Fedda and arts activist Daniel Gorman share their reflections of a three-day visit to Syria early this year.
No Place to Be: On Wadih Saadeh’s A Horse at the Door
Alex Tan reviews the new chronology of poems from Lebanon's bard of war and exile, Wadih Saadeh, translated by Robin Moger.
February World Picks from the Editors
Film & photography festivals, concerts, art, standup comedy, lectures...TMR World Picks run the gamut and are selected by our editors.
My Favorite Cake, Iranian Cinema’s Bittersweet Ode to Love
Karim Goury reviews the Iranian film, "My Favorite Cake," a celebration of love in the twilight of life, in a society where prohibition and surveillance reign.