Art History and the United Arab Emirates
Sophie Kazan Makhlouf challenges misconceptions that an authoritarian government precludes politically-critical cultural production.
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10 Recommended Stories in The Markaz Review 2024
TMR's five main editors have selected two of our favorite stories of the year for your reading pleasure. Of course, we are utterly subjective.
January 2025 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.
Mounir Fatmi—Where Art Meets Technology
Sophie Kazan Makhlouf interviews international Moroccan artist Mounir Fatmi on his studio practice, why he makes art, and what he thinks of global audiences.
Maya Abu Al-Hayyat’s Defiant Exploration of Palestinian Life
Zahra Hankir reviews Hazem Jamjoum's English translation of Palestinian novelist Maya Abu Al-Hayyat's novel "No One Knows Their Blood Type."
Criticizing a Militaristic Israel is not Inherently Antisemitic
The conflation of antisemitism with political criticism of Israel not only stifles free speech; it makes Jews less safe around the world.
Lena Khalaf Tuffaha: Two Poems
Lena Khalaf Tuffaha won the 2024 National Book Award for her latest collection of poems, "Something About Living."
Annahita Mahdavi West: Two Poems
Iranian American poet Annahita Mahdavi West presents two poems, "Exile" and "City of War" from her book "Dusty Relic."
Darius Atefat-Peckham: Three Poems
Darius Atefat-Peckham’s debut poetry collection, "Book of Kin," follows a boy’s coming of age in the aftermath of a car accident.
Return to Damascus…the Long Road Home
A son of Hama — a former prisoner and now a TV correspondent — takes his first steps towards his country in over a decade.
Kareem’s Story, Excerpt from The Home I Worked to Make
A Syrian medical student from Damascus, forced into exile, shares his story with political scientist Wendy Pearlman — anonymously.
30 Recommended Books on Syria
TMR editors have compiled a list of 30 of their favorite titles on Syria, including novels, nonfiction and memoir.
Escapism in Times of War—on Genre Fiction
In which our literary editor becomes your guide through TMR 47, a double issue packed with fiction and the last monthly issue of 2024.
“Not a Picture, a Precise Kick”—metafiction
A writer from Cairo imagines a chance encounter between two writers in Prague enamored of Kafka.
Palestine Features in Larissa Sansour’s Sci-Fi Future
Larissa Sansour is a Palestinian-born artist whose photography, film, sculpture, and installation art is bound up with visions of the future.