For Our 50th Issue, Writers Reflect on Going Home
In the 50th issue of The Markaz Review, diverse writers explore the return home in creative nonfiction, fiction excerpts and prose poems.
Kuwait
“The Head of the Table”—a story by Natasha Tynes
A celebration quickly spirals into a lifetime of trauma when an unforeseen 'head' makes a shocking appearance.
Arab Shakespeare?
Georgina Van Welie, co-founder of Sabab theatre, shares her perspective on the "Arab" Shakespeare Trilogy for the first time
Memory Archive: Between Remembering and Forgetting
Mai Al-Nakib explores memory, forgetting, and writing through the lenses of Woolf, Proust, and a Wim Wenders film.
Atom Bombs and Earthquakes: Changing Arabian Culture Via Architecture
T.H. Shalaby maps out and questions architectural planning in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE.
Mohamed Al Mufti, Architect and Painter of Our Time
Nicole Hamouche visits artist and architect at his Beirut studio, whose work reflects on Damascus' and Beirut’s political and social scene.
On Fathers, Daughters and the Genocide in Gaza
The war on Gaza and Hamas reminds Palestinian American poet Deema K. Shehabi of her father and stories of home and immigration.
Hayat and the Rain—fiction from Mona Alshammari
The power of the imagination may not be enough to save a young girl’s hopes when faced with rural poverty.
On Ice—fiction from Malu Halasa
In an excerpt from an unpublished novella by Malu Halasa, ice skating in the desert is more than just a sport.
Signs of the Times: Rising Conservatism in Kuwait
Mai Al-Nakib, a writer in the country's capital, interprets the recent rise in conservatism in Kuwait as a symptom of fear.
Between Illness and Exile in “Head Above Water”
Tugrul Mende reviews Shadh Alshammari's brave account of fighting MS and abelism.
Leaving One’s Country in Mai Al-Nakib’s “An Unlasting Home”
Rana Asfour reviews Mai Al-Nakib's debut novel, in which the protagonist always thought she would leave her country.
Mai Al-Nakib: “Naaseha’s Counsel”
The author of the novel "An Unlasting Home" recalls stories of African slaves in Iraq and Kuwait.
Barrak Alzaid: “Pink and Blue”
A young storyteller in Kuwait is captivated by the lives of Filipina women he does not know.
Kuwait’s Alanoud Alsharekh, Feminist Groundbreaker
Nada Ghosn speaks to Dr. Alanoud Alsharekh in our monthly series profiling trailblazing Arab, Iranian and other women of the Middle East and North Africa.