Bücher der Reihe Middle East Literature In Translation

This tender memoir chronicles the early years of Sayyid Qutb, one of Egypt's most influential radical Islamist thinkers and a member of the Muslim Brotherhood.

Hadiya Hussein's poignant 2017 novel plunges readers into a haunting and powerful story of resilience. Set at the end of Saddam Hussein's brutal reign, the novel follows Narjis, a young Iraqi woman, on her quest to discover what has become of the man she loves. Yusef, suspected by the regime of being a dissident, has disappeared-presumably either imprisoned or executed. On her journey, Narjis receives shelter from a Kurdish family who welcome her into their home where she meets Umm Hani, an older woman who is searching for her long-lost son. Together they form a bond, and Narjis comes to understand the depth of loss and grief of those around her. At the same time, she is introduced to the warm hospitality of the Kurdish community, settling into their everyday lives, and embracing their customs. Barbara Romaine's translation skillfully renders this complex, layered story, giving readers a stark yet beautiful portrait of contemporary Iraq.

This monumental family saga offers a vivid portrait of Egypt's Mamluk period, one that is at both sweeping in scope and intimate in detail. Set in medieval Cairo, the novel centers on three generations of Egyptians, foreign-born Mamluks, and their descendants as their trials and victories mirror those of their turbulent country. The first volume, "e;Sons of the People"e;, introduces us to Zaynab, the daughter of a middle-class merchant in Cairo who catches the eye of the powerful Mamluk amir Muhammad. After they marry, Zaynab is transported to the foreign world of Mamluk politics and wealth where she must navigate the complicated machinations of various rulers and raise their four children. Their oldest son becomes an architect and embarks upon the monumental task of building a grand mosque with Sultan Hasan as a symbol of the Mamluks rise to power. In the second volume "e;The Judge of Qus"e;, Bassiouney tells the story of Amr ibn Ahmad ibn Abd al-Karim, a wise and compassionate judge of Islamic law whose refusal to bend to the demands of the Mamluk rulers ultimately leads to Amr's downfall. The final volume, "e;Events of Nights,"e; weaves together testimonies from three characters, each with narrow and differing perspectives on the novel's events, subtly calling the readers' attention to the unstable nature of historical fiction. Filled with compelling drama, ruthless ambition, and tragic love, Bassiouney's masterful trilogy brings the Mamluk's rich cultural and architectural heritage to life through the eyes of one family.

The first anthology of its kind in the West, Contemporary Iraqi Fiction gathers work from sixteen Iraqi writers, all translated from Arabic into English. Shedding a bright light on the rich diversity Iraqi experience, Shakir Mustafa has included selections by Iraqi women, Iraqi Jews now living in Israel, and Christians and Muslims living both in Iraq and abroad.While each voice is distinct, they are united in writing about a homeland that has suffered under repression, censorship, war, and occupation. Many of the selections mirror these grim realities, forcing the writers to open up new narrative terrains and experiment with traditional forms. Muhammad Khodayyir's surrealist portraits of his home city, Basra, in an excerpt from Basriyyatha and the magical realism of Mayselun Hadi's "e;Calendars"e; both offer powerful expressions of the absurdity of everyday life. Themes range from childhood and family to war, political oppression, and interfaith relationships. Mustafa provides biographical sketches for the writers and an enlightening introduction, chronicling the evolution of Iraqi literature.

With an infectious blend of humour, satire, and biting social commentary, Yassin Adnan gives readers a portrait of contemporary Morocco - and the city of Marrakech - told through the eyes of the hapless Rahhal Laaouina, a.k.a. the Squirrel.

Shahrokh Meskoob was one of Iran's leading intellectuals and a preeminent scholar of Persian literary traditions, language, and cultural identity. In The Ant's Gift, Meskoob applies his insight and considerable analytical skills to the Shahnameh, the national epic of Iran completed in 1010 by the poet Abul-Qusem Ferdowsi.

Vividly captures the experiences of prominent Indian intellectual and scholar Shibli- Nu'ma-ni- (1857-1914) as he journeyed across the Ottoman Empire and Egypt in 1892. A professor of Arabic and Persian, Nu'ma-ni- took a six-month leave from teaching to travel to the Ottoman Empire in search of rare printed works and manuscripts.

Nostalgically commemorates the lost culture of an ancient Iraqi Jewish minority living amidst a majority Muslim population in 1940s Baghdad. The plot unfolds during a time of great turmoil and events profoundly affected Muslim-Jewish relationships.

In this anthology, the poet Adonis evokes the wisdom of Whitman's ""Leaves of Grass"" (which he liberally excerpts and remolds), the modernism of William Carlos Williams, and the haunting urban imagery of Baudelaire, Cavafy, and Lorca.

Ahmet Midhat Efendi's famous 1875 novel Felatun Bey and Rakim Efendi takes place in late nineteenth-century Istanbul and follows the lives of two young men who come from radically different backgrounds. The novel provides readers with an elegant yet powerful appeal for progressive reforms and individual freedoms.

Features 22 stories, an excerpt from a novella, and fifteen poems rendered into English by some of the best-known translators of Turkish literature. Sait Faik's chiaroscuro world is brought into focus by an introductory essay on utopian poetics and lyrical stylistics of this Turkish writer.

Provides a comprehensive introduction to classical Arabic poetry. Covering the period roughly of 500-1250 CE, this volume features original translations and illuminating discussions of a number of major classical Arabic poems from a variety of genres.

These folktales have been collected from Teuan, Al-Huceima, Taza, Fes, Marrakesh and Tahanout. Varied genres include anecdotes, legends and animal fables.

A novel of quixotic adolescent longing and the enduring search for self.

A novel of life in the mixed culture that existed in Southern Spain before the expulsion of Arabs and Jews, following the life of Abu Jaafar, the bookbinder, and his family as they witness Christopher Columbus' triumphant parade through the streets.

Telling the story of life, love, and the demands of marriage and motherhood, the author gives readers a portrait of one woman's struggle to adapt to the complexity of life in modern Iran. She demystifies contemporary Iran by taking readers beyond the stereotypes and into the lives of individuals.

The earliest Turkish verses, dating from the sixth century A.D., were love lyrics. Since then love has dominated the Turks' poetic modes and moods - pre-Islamic, Ottoman classic, folk, modern. In style, form and sensibility, this collection offers a broad spectrum.

Tells of the suffering - memories of an abandoned garden fading away - and of a poet at the confluence of two cultures: Western and Middle Eastern. This bilingual book comprises Sentimental Archives of a War in Lebanon and the English translation of Lebanon: Twenty Poems for One Love. It includes more than forty selected poems.

The Muslim Suicide focuses on the life of an actual historical character, Ibn Sabin (1217-69), who, born in the town of Murcia in Andalus (Arab Spain), ended his life while on pilgrimage to Mecca.