Religious Misogyny Personified in Ali Abbasi’s Holy Spider
Bavand Karim reviews the film "Holy Spider" by Ali Abbassi which coldly deconstructs the brutal nature of Iran’s religious patriarchy.
TMR Weekly
Tone—Literary Criticism to Challenge the Mind
Sofia Samatar and Kate Zambreno indulge in a collective reading and writing practice to capture literary tone, writes Safa Khatib.
World Picks from the Editors: Dec 9 — Dec 22
The editors of The Markaz Review recommend several cultural world events.
The Palestine Laboratory and Gaza: An Excerpt
Antony Loewenstein, winner of Australia's highest journalism award, presents his latest exploration of Israel and Palestine.
On the Herculean Task of Translating Joyce’s Ulysses into Kurdish
Kawa Nemir felt he'd been preparing to undertake the translation of James Joyce's masterpiece his whole life...
“My Father’s Last Meal”—a Kurdish Tale
In the aftermath of his father's death by shrapnel from an Iraqi shell, Dilan Qadir contends with a life intricately shaped by his absence.
First Kurdish Sci-Fi Collection is Rooted in the Past
Matt Broomfield reviews the first anthology of Kurdish science fiction, one that envisions new possibilities for Kurdish self-determination.
Gaza vs. Mosul from a Medical and Humanitarian Standpoint
Ahmed Twaij, a physician and journalist with experience in Iraq and other war zones, argues Hamas and ISIS cannot be compared.
Palestinian Artists & Anti-War Supporters of Gaza Cancelled
Nada Ghosn on censored and cancelled voices, many of whom have called for an end to the assault on Gaza.
World Picks from the Editors: Nov 24 – Dec 10
The editors of The Markaz Review recommend several of the best cultural events happening now around the world.
Bahar: 22 years in the Life of a Compulsory Hijabi in Teheran
Joumana Haddad tells the true story of a young Iranian woman in Tehran, albeit vehicled by fiction.
Iranian Women Photographers: Life, Freedom, Music, Art & Hair
Malu Halasa reviews the latest book on Iranian women photographers by Anahita Ghabaian Etehadieh alongside two new books in a similar vein.
Clashing Cultures and Gender Politics in The Persian Version
Bavand Karim reviews "The Persian Version," a 2023 American comedy drama film directed and written by Maryam Keshavarz.
What’s in a Ceasefire?
For Gaza, the terms “humanitarian pause” and “ceasefire” may not be enough and might even be used as a fig leaf for forced displacement.
The Fiction of Palestine’s Ghassan Zaqtan
Cory Oldweiler reviews three novellas by Bethlehem born and raised, Ramallah-based poet and writer Ghassan Zaqtan.