“The Cockroaches”—flash fiction
In the violence of the Gaza war, a love that dares not speak its name blossoms at a hefty price in flash fiction by Stanko Uyi Sršen.
The Imagination Interviews
“The Lakshmi of Suburbia”—a story by Natasha Tynes
In Natasha Tynes’ new short story, “The Lakshmi of Suburbia,” an unhappy wife falls in love with herself and an internet influencer.
“Keeping Up”—fiction from Mohamed Farag
The more things change, the more they become strange, or so finds the confused narrator of this Kafkaesque adventure in a developing country.
“Certainty”—a short story by Nora Nagi
In this latest story by Nora Nagi, an Egyptian woman trapped in a loveless marriage far from home finds freedom.
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.
“The Doll with the Purple Scarf”—flash fiction from Diaa Jubaili
Iraqi novelist Diaa Jubaili's short story, translated by Chip Rossetti, portrays dolls as unlikely victims of life under the Islamic State.
“We Danced”—a story by MK Harb
In exercises to “release your inner child,” meditation, or psychotherapy, Beirutis search for mental and physical relief, in MK Harb's latest short story.
“Frida Kahlo’s Mustache”—flash fiction from Abdullah Nasser
In this flash fiction by Abdullah Nasser, a couple struggling to conceive undergoes a transformation that changes everything.
“Madame Djouzi”—a story by Salah Badis
Salah Badis' short story follows an elderly Algerian woman contemplating the end of her life amidst the threat of earthquakes or having to sell her cherished furniture.
“Deferred Sorrow”—fiction from Haidar Al Ghazali
In Haidar Al Ghazali's short story, a Palestinian father during the war on Gaza makes an impossible choice.
“Besara”—an excerpt from Things Are Not in Their Place
An excerpt from Omani writer Huda Hamed’s bittersweet coming-of-age novel about race and self in a new English translation by Zia Ahmed.
Ripped from Memoirs of a Lebanese Policeman
True reflections of a former officer of the law in Lebanon from his hit memoir, translated by Lina Mounzer.
Plenty of Marjanes & Leilas: Collective Strategies of the Women’s Protest in Iran
Marjane Satrapi's edited anthology "Woman, Life, Freedom" shows that the story of the movement cannot be told with only one voice.
Upheavals of Beauty and Oppression in The Oud Player of Cairo
Jasmin Attia's novel vividly portrays Egypt and Cairo by beautifully conjuring music and sound through descriptive prose.
Life Along Istanbul’s Byzantine Walls, a Review
Arie Amaya-Akkermans on a book that reviews not only Turkey’s social and political deterioration over the last decade, but also the violence of the past, both recent and distant.