Podcasts about arabic fiction

Majalla 28 is a literary magazine out of Gaza co-producing an issue with ArabLit. We talk about the work by co-editors Mahmoud al-Shaer and Mohamed al-Zaqzouq and read excerpts from that issue. After that, we talk about a particular kind of Palestinian literature – by writers serving life sentences. Find out more about the Gaza issue at arablit.orgMore writing by Heba Al-Agha, translated by Julia Choucair Vizoso, is also available at arablit.orgYou can read more about the late author Walid Daqqa, who died in an Israeli prison, at JadaliyyaPalestinian prisoner Nasser Abu Srour's The Wall, translated by Luke Leafgren, is out now from Other PressA Mask, the Colour of the Sky, by Palestinian writer Basim Khandaqji, won this year's International Prize for Arabic Fiction. Khandaqji is serving three consecutive life sentences; his novel is forthcoming in English translation from Europa Editions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

*) Israel kills over a dozen Palestinians in Rafah — medics Israeli air strikes have targeted three houses in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, killing at least 13 people and wounding numerous others, according to medics. Additionally, Israeli planes struck two houses in Gaza City in the north of the enclave, which health officials say resulted in several casualties. These strikes occurred amid ongoing Israeli violence and tension, with over a million people in Rafah seeking shelter from previous bombardments. *) World Central Kitchen to resume Gaza ops after Israel killings World Central Kitchen has resumed operations in Gaza after seven of its aid workers were killed in an Israeli strike earlier this month. In a statement, the charity's chief executive officer emphasised the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza and their commitment to providing food assistance with renewed energy and focus. The organisation plans to deliver food to as many Palestinians as possible, including in the northern region, by utilising various transport methods: land, air, or sea routes. *) Heat wave kills two Palestinian children in Gaza The UN refugee agency UNRWA has reported that at least two Palestinian children have lost their lives due to a severe heat wave in Gaza. UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini expressed deep concern, highlighting the challenges faced by Palestinians in Gaza: death, hunger, disease, displacement, and now extreme heat conditions. This situation compounds the ongoing difficulties caused by a deadly Israeli offensive that killed more than 34,400 people and injured thousands. *) Ukraine signals worsening front amidst Russia's new gains Ukraine's army leader has acknowledged a deteriorating situation on the battlefield as Russian forces seized another village in eastern Ukraine. In a Facebook post, Oleksandr Syrsky admitted that Ukrainian troops had retreated westwards to establish new defensive lines along the front near Donetsk. He noted that Russia holds a significant advantage in manpower and ammunition, allowing them to make advances despite heavy fighting. *) Palestinian writer wins Arabic Fiction Prize after 20 years in Israeli jail Palestinian writer Basim Khandaqji, who was imprisoned in Israel 20 years ago, has been awarded the prestigious 2024 International Prize for Arabic Fiction. He won for his novel "A Mask, the Colour of the Sky” at a ceremony held in Abu Dhabi. Khandaqji was born in Nablus in the Israeli-occupied West Bank in 1983 and began writing short stories until his arrest at the age of 21.

Ukraine's commander-in-chief says his troops have fallen back to new positions west of three villages where Russia has concentrated significant forces. Also: Divisions emerge in the Israeli government with ministers at odds about a potential ceasefire and hostage release deal, and we hear who has won the International Prize for Arabic Fiction.

Said Khatibi's detective novel نهاية الصحراء (End of the Sahara) is set in a remote desert city in Algeria in the Fall of 1988, when the country's October Riots are about to break out place. The book is one of the winners of this year's Sheikh Zayed Book Award. Khatibi explained how his writing is also a way of exploring larger historical crimes. Show Notes:This episode is produced in collaboration with the Sheikh Zayed Book Award.The Sheikh Zayed Book Award is one of the Arab world's most prestigious literary prizes, showcasing the stimulating and ambitious work of writers, translators, researchers, academics and publishers advancing Arab literature and culture around the globe.Today's guest, Said Khatibi, was awarded the Sheikh Zayed Book Award in 2023 in the category of Young Author, for his novel نهاية الصحراء, or “The End of the Sahara.” Khatibi is a writer and journalist who is based in Ljublana, Slovenia.Khatibi's 2018 novel Sarajevo Firewood was shortlisted for the International Prize for Arabic Fiction in 2020, and he won the Katara Prize for his 2016 novel Forty Years Waiting for Isabel. His Sarajevo Firewood was translated by Paul Starkey and is available from Banipal Books. Edith Maud Hull's 1919 novel The Sheik was adapted into a 1921 film of the same name starring Rudoph Valentino.The Sheikh Zayed Book Award Translation Grant is open all year round, with funding available for fiction titles that have won or been shortlisted for an award. Publishers outside the Arab world are eligible to apply - find out more on the Sheikh Zayed Book Award website at: zayedaward.ae Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's literary prize season! When the Sawiris Cultural Awards were announced at the start of 2023, novelist Shady Lewis Botros turned his novel award down, launching a storm of criticism, defense, and discussion. Is it bad manners or good politics to turn down a prize? How do different prizes affect the literary landscape? How is the 2023 prize season shaping up? Show Notes:  Mada Masr published “A conversation with Shady Lewis Botros on the genealogy of literary refusal” The International Prize for Arabic Fiction recently announced their 2023 longlist, with a historically high number of women writers (half). Also in Jan 2023, Banipal Prize judges announced that two novels had won their 2022 prize. By coincidence, we did a joint episode on those two novels. PEN America recently announced their lit-prize longlists. Iman Mersal's The Threshold, translated by Robyn Creswell, made the poetry-in-translation longlist. In December 2022, Fatima Qandil's Empty Cages won the Naguib Mahfouz medal, and she said it was the first time she'd won a prize.

We're back to talk about books we read over the summer and books we're looking forward to this fall. Including poetry from Iman Mersal, Hadiya Hussein's novel about looking for a lover disappeared in Saddam's Iraq, and Mohamed Alnaas' novel about the pressure to be a certain type of Libyan man.  Show Notes:Iman Mersal's The Threshold, trans. Robyn Creswell, is a selection from four of her poetry collections, forthcoming from McMillan. Hadiya Hussein's Waiting For The Past, trans. Barbara Romaine, is forthcoming from Syracuse Press. Bread on Uncle Milad's Table, by Mohamed Alnaas, won the 2022 International Prize for Arabic Fiction.  

Translator Alexander E. Elinson joins us to discuss Yassin Adnan's Hot Maroc, a sprawling satire of contemporary Morocco. The novel, set in Marrakesh and online, follows the story of Rahhal Laouina, aka “The Squirrel,” who finds his voice as an anonymous internet troll – and then has it co-opted by the country's security apparatus. While it paints a bleak picture of the possibilities of political dialogue, journalism, and self-expression, the novel itself is testament to literature's ability to chart new imaginative territory. Show Notes Hot Maroc is available from Syracuse University Press in Alex Elinson's translation You can read an excerpt of the novel at Asymptote. Aida Alami contextualizes the novel at Middle East Eye. Adnan talks about the inspiration for the novel in an interview with the International Prize for Arabic Fiction

Youssef Rakha talked about his writing on post-Muslim perspectives in Arabic and Egyptian literature.Youssef Rakha is a novelist, poet, essayist and journalist who writes in both Arabic and English. His interests include Arab porn and the possibility of a post-Muslim perspective. His first two novels The Book of the Sultan's Seal and The Crocodiles appeared in English in early 2015. Frequently anthologized and translated into many languages, he has written widely on Arabic literature and Egyptian history. Youssef's 2006 photo travelogue Beirut Shi Mahal was nominated for the Lettre Ulysses Award for the Art of Reportage. He was among the 39 best Arab writers under 40 selected for the Hay Festival Beirut39 Festival in 2010. His first novel, The Book of the Sultan's Seal, won the 2015 Banipal Seif Ghobash Prize for Paul Starkey's translation, and his third, Paulo, was on the long list of the International Prize for Arabic Fiction in 2017 and won the 2017 Sawiris Award.Created by Mikey Muhanna, afikra Hosted by Malek RasamnyEdited by: Ramzi RammanTheme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/About the afikra Conversations:Our long-form interview series features academics, arts, ‎and media experts who are helping document and/or shape the history and culture of the Arab world through their ‎work. Our hope is that by having the guest share their expertise and story, the community still walks away with newfound curiosity - and maybe some good recommendations about new nerdy rabbit holes to dive into headfirst. ‎Following the interview, there is a moderated town-hall-style Q&A with questions coming from the live virtual audience ‎on Zoom.‎ Join the live audience: https://www.afikra.com/rsvp   FollowYoutube - Instagram (@afikra_) - Facebook - Twitter Support www.afikra.com/supportAbout afikra:‎afikra is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region- past, present, and future - through conversations driven by curiosity. Read more about us on  afikra.com

يلتقيا شادن وآسر مع صديق آسر العطار، على أمل أن يساعدهما على العثور على اللص التالي.  -- تأليف: مشاري العنيزي كتابة: ليليان الحكيم وعمر آدم للسماع على منصة ديزر https://finyalmedia.co/deezer - https://finyalmedia.co/finyalplus  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

تنطلق شادن لمواجهة وحش الغابة مرة أخرى، مسلحة بقارورة من السائل السحري الذي قام بتحضيره الراهب... فتكتشف أن محنتها مع الوحش قد تؤدي إلى لص آخر بالنهاية. -- تأليف: مشاري العنيزي كتابة: ليليان الحكيم وعمر آدم للسماع على منصة ديزر https://finyalmedia.co/deezer - https://finyalmedia.co/finyalplus  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

تعمل شادن مع المقتفي للتحقيق في السر وراء إختفاء الشبح، ويقودهم اكتشافهم إلى مكان غير متوقع.   -- تأليف: مشاري العنيزي كتابة: ليليان الحكيم وعمر آدم للسماع على منصة ديزر https://finyalmedia.co/deezer - https://finyalmedia.co/finyalplus  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

بينما تجلس شادن عالقة في السجن بعد أن اعتقلها المقتفي ظناً إنها اللص الشبح، يتم نقل صندوق اللآلئ الثمينة تحت حماية الحرس الملكي والمقتفي نفسه، إلى أن يكتشفوا أن الشبح الحقيقي سيعرقل حركتهم. -- تأليف: مشاري العنيزي كتابة: ليليان الحكيم وعمر آدم للسماع على منصة ديزر https://finyalmedia.co/deezer - https://finyalmedia.co/finyalplus  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

تصل شادن لمملكة التاروت بحثاً عن اللص يعقوب إلا أنها تجد نفسها تطارد سارق يرهب المملكة يدعى الشبح. -- تأليف: مشاري العنيزي كتابة: ليليان الحكيم وعمر آدم للسماع على منصة ديزر https://finyalmedia.co/deezer - https://finyalmedia.co/finyalplus  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

تسرع شادن إلى مخبأ اللص لتنتقم منه، إلا أنها تجد أن الوصول إليه سيكون أصعب مما توقعته لما آخذه من اجراءات لحماية نفسه. -- تأليف: مشاري العنيزي كتابة: ليليان الحكيم وعمر آدم للسماع على منصة ديزر https://finyalmedia.co/deezer - https://finyalmedia.co/finyalplus  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

تسافر شادن إلى مدينة النبع بحثاً عن لص يختبأ هناك، ولكن يُطلب منها القيام بشيء لا تتفق معه إن أرادت معرفة موقع مخبأ اللص. -- تأليف: مشاري العنيزي كتابة: ليليان الحكيم وعمر آدم للسماع على منصة ديزر https://finyalmedia.co/deezer - https://finyalmedia.co/finyalplus  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

تبلغ شادن الثامنة عشر سنة وتتلقى الهدية التي أرادتها أكثر من أي شيء آخر... معلومات عن إحد اللصوص الذي تبحث عنهم. -- تأليف: مشاري العنيزي كتابة: ليليان الحكيم وعمر آدم للسماع على منصة ديزر https://finyalmedia.co/deezer - https://finyalmedia.co/finyalplus  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

يحاول فهد وفارس اكتشاف حقيقة ما حدث بين عمهما عصام ووالدهما والذي أدى إلى العداوة التي يتشاركنها لبعضهما البعض... تأليف: مشاري العنيزي وعمر آدم كتابة: عبد اللطيف مثن وعمر آدم إخراج: عبد الله رافعة -- بطولة: المثنى المعمر عبد العزيز القدير وائل شاهين ناديا ملايكا جعفر سليمان رغد حسن شاكر الشريف أنس الصبحي للإشتراك الآن إلى فنيال+ وبدء الفترة التجريبية المجانية: https://finyalmedia.co/finyalplus  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

يتجادل فهد وفارس عن تورط عمهما في القضية، بينما يضطر اسلام على مواجهة حقائق صعبة أثناء استجوابه في الخبر...  -- تأليف: مشاري العنيزي وعمر آدم كتابة: عبد اللطيف مثن وعمر آدم إخراج: عبد الله رافعة -- بطولة: المثنى المعمر عبد العزيز القدير وائل شاهين رؤى طلال جعفر سليمان رغد حسن شاكر الشريف للإشتراك الآن إلى فنيال+ وبدء الفترة التجريبية المجانية: https://finyalmedia.co/finyalplus  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

يتفاقم الخلاف بين الأخوين وهما يحاولان أكتشاف مدى صدق ما يسمعانه عن والدهما، بينما يظهر مشتبه جديد في قضية اختفاء عبد الرحمن... -- تأليف: مشاري العنيزي وعمر آدم كتابة: عبد اللطيف مثن وعمر آدم إخراج: عبد الله رافعة -- بطولة: المثنى المعمر عبد العزيز القدير ناديا ملايكا رؤى طلال موده مندوره سلطانة فيصل رغد حسن عبد الله الشلوي عبد الله رافعة عمار صبان للإشتراك الآن إلى فنيال+ وبدء الفترة التجريبية المجانية: https://finyalmedia.co/finyalplus  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

بعد سماعهما لخبر مريع، يعزم فهد وفارس على متابعة رحلتهما، إلا أن الأنباء السيئة تستمر بالمجيء...  -- تأليف: مشاري العنيزي وعمر آدم كتابة: عبد اللطيف مثن وعمر آدم إخراج: عبد الله رافعة -- بطولة: المثنى المعمر عبد العزيز القدير رؤى طلال وائل شاهين سلطانة فيصل رغد حسن عبد الله الشلوي شاكر الشريف وسام كابلي للإشتراك الآن إلى فنيال+ وبدء الفترة التجريبية المجانية: https://finyalmedia.co/finyalplus  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

في الحلقة الأولى من "الصلة"، على فهد وفارس إتخاذ قرار كبير بعد أن يصلهما مكالمة مريبة من والدهما... -- تأليف: مشاري العنيزي وعمر آدم كتابة: عبد اللطيف مثن وعمر آدم إخراج: عبد الله رافعة -- بطولة: المثنى المعمر عبد العزيز القدير عبد الله البلوي وائل يوسف جعفر السلمان ناديا ملايكا سلطانة فيصل رغد حسن أنس الصبحي عبد الله الشلوي شاكر الشريف وسام كابلي للإشتراك الآن إلى فنيال+ وبدء الفترة التجريبية المجانية: https://finyalmedia.co/finyalplus    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Najwa Bin Shatwan, whose work has appeared here on ArabLit in translation, is widely acclaimed and well known, particularly since her shortlisting for the International Prize for Arabic Fiction in 2017. A Libyan academic and novelist, Bin Shatwan is the author of three novels: The Horses' Hair (2007), Orange Content (2008), and Slave Pens (2016), as well as three short-story collections and a play. Before her IPAF shortlisting, Bin Shatwan was chosen as one of the 39 best Arab authors under the age of 40 by the Beirut39 project, in 2009, and her story The Pool and the Piano was included, in translation, in the Beirut39 anthology.

  We talk about the Syrian writer Dima Wannous' haunting novel The Frightened Ones, translated by Elisabeth Jacquette. It's a book about fear, panic and anxiety -- in one's body and society, between generations and lovers -- that is also somehow a great pleasure to read. Show Notes: The Frightened Ones was shortlisted for the 2018 International Prize for Arabic Fiction; its English translation is now out in the UK and forthcoming in the US.  We discussed the work of Wannous' father, the brilliant playwright Sa'adallah Wannous, in episode 28, “Sentenced to Hope.”

Barbara TeresiPremio Mario Lattes per la Traduzione«Il traduttore letterario è colui che mette in gioco tutto se stesso per tradurre l'intraducibile».Italo CalvinoÈ dedicata alla letteratura in lingua araba tradotta in italiano la prima edizione del Premio biennale Mario Lattes per la Traduzione, promosso dalla Fondazione Bottari Lattes, in collaborazione con l'Associazione Castello di Perno. Cinque sono le finaliste selezionate dalla Giuria stabile del Premio: Maria Avino, traduttrice di Morire è un mestiere difficile del siriano Khaled Khalifa (Bompiani, 2019); Samuela Pagani, traduttrice di Corriere di notte della libanese Hoda Barakat (La nave di Teseo, 2019); Nadia Rocchetti, traduttrice di Viaggio contro il tempo della libanese Emily Nasrallah (Jouvence, 2018); Monica Ruocco, traduttrice di Il suonatore di nuvole dell'iracheno Ali Bader (Argo, 2017); Barbara Teresi, traduttrice di Una piccola morte del saudita Mohamed Hasan Alwan (E/o, 2019).La cerimonia premiazione si svolgerà sabato 18 luglio 2020 alle ore 18 nel giardino del Castello di Perno (Cn) nel cuore delle Langhe, Patrimonio Mondiale dell'Umanità Unesco. In questa occasione l'orientalista Fabrizio Pennacchietti terrà la lectio magistralis L'arabo letterario moderno può dirsi una lingua “europea”?. L'appuntamento che decreterà la vincitrice tra le cinque finaliste in gara sarà condotto dalla giornalista e saggista Paola Caridi, studiosa di Medio Oriente e Nord Africa, e vedrà la partecipazione dei giurati del Premio: Anna Battaglia, Melita Cataldi, Mario Marchetti, lo stesso Fabrizio Pennacchietti, Antonietta Pastore (membri della Giuria stabile) e Isabella Camera d'Afflitto, Manuela E.B. Giolfo, Claudia Maria Tresso (membri della Giuria specialistica)."Una piccola morte"Mohamed Hasan Alwantraduzione di Barbara Teresie/o edizionihttps://www.edizionieo.it/Tradotto in più di dieci paesi, Una piccola morte, biografia romanzata di uno dei padri del sufismo (la corrente mistica dell'Islam), è un romanzo storico, d'avventura, di viaggio e d'amore, che restituisce un'immagine del santo sufi ripulita dall'alone di leggenda: Ibn ‘Arabi uomo in carne e ossa, che si sposa e divorzia, che piange e ride, che viaggia alla ricerca del senso della vita. Il titolo si riferisce proprio a un detto di Muhyi-d-din Ibn ‘Arabi: «L'amore è una piccola morte».In questo ambizioso romanzo, Mohamed Hasan Alwan ci conduce in un'epoca lontana, a cavallo tra il XII e il XIII secolo, ricostruendo passo dopo passo e con dovizia di particolari la vita del “sommo maestro” Muhyi-d-din Ibn ‘Arabi, uno dei più grandi sheikh sufi di tutti i tempi, filosofo, mistico e poeta la cui opera ha influenzato molti intellettuali e mistici tanto in Oriente quanto in Occidente (secondo alcuni studiosi avrebbe influenzato, seppur indirettamente, anche Dante Alighieri e San Giovanni della Croce). In apertura del romanzo, Alwan immagina Ibn ‘Arabi, in eremitaggio su una montagna in Azerbaigian, intento a scrivere la propria autobiografia. Le pagine che seguono ripercorrono, sotto forma di narrazione in prima persona, l'intera vita del mistico musulmano, sempre legata a doppio filo agli eventi storici e politici dell'epoca, che hanno influito, spesso in modo diretto, sul suo vissuto quotidiano e sul suo percorso esistenziale.Mohamed Hasan AlwanMohamed Hasan Alwan, nato a Riad nel 1979, è un romanziere e saggista saudita. Ha conseguito un dottorato di ricerca in Marketing internazionale presso la Carleton University in Canada. Considerato tra i giovani autori più promettenti nel panorama della narrativa araba contemporanea, nel 2015 ha vinto il Prix de la littérature arabe dell'Institut du monde arabe di Parigi. Nel 2017 ha vinto con Una piccola morte l'International Prize for Arabic Fiction, il più prestigioso premio letterario dedicato alla letteratura di lingua araba.IL POSTO DELLE PAROLEascoltare fa pensarehttps://ilpostodelleparole.it/

På midsommarafton släpper Bob Dylan sitt 39:e studioalbum, Rough and Rowdy Ways första plattan med nyskrivna låtar på 8 år. "En av Dylans bästa skivor någonsin" sa vår recensent Joakim Silverdal i morse hör honom förklara varför! MÖT ÅRETS VINNARE AV ARABVÄRLDENS STORA LITTERATURPRIS Ett av arabvärldens stora litterära pris, International Prize for Arabic Fiction gick i år till den algeriske författaren Abdelouahab Aissaoui. Priset fick han för romanen "Den spartanska domstolen" där han skildrar Algeriet under slutet av det osamanska riket och början på den franska kolonisationen och motståndet mot de två ockupationsmakterna. "KONSTEN ATT GÖRA ETT SOUNDTRACK"  OM ATT HÖRA PÅ FILM Just nu kan man se "Konsten att skapa ett soundtrack" på SVT Play, en dokumentär om att höra på film. P1 Kultur träffade filmens regissör Midge Costin när filmen visades på filmfestivalen i Cannes i fjol. ESSÄ: TILL BLÄDDRANDETS FÖRSVAR Om bläddringen  i kontrast till den långsamma noggranna läsningen  hittills saknat sin talesperson så har den fått det nu, i form av författaren och essäisten Henrik Nilsson. Programledare: Lisa Wall Producent: Eskil Krogh Larsson

للاستماع إلى بودكاست بعد أمس http://aj.audio/click  We discuss an acclaimed novel set during the first Palestinian Intifada and one inspired by a tiny, legendary bookstore in Algiers.  Show Notes: This year, the International Prize for Arabic Fiction—which went to Abdelouahab Aissaoui's The Spartan Court—and the Sheikh Zayed Book Award—which had winners in seven categories—both had awards ceremonies on YouTube.  MLQ will also participate in the now-online Sant Jordi Literary Festival (April 23-25), having recorded discussions with Elisabeth Jaquette about her translation of The Frightened Ones (by Dima Wannous) and Sawad Hussain about her translation of Bab as-Saha, or The Passage to the Plaza (by Sahar Khalifeh).  Khalifeh's classic 1990 novel The Passage to the Plaza is newly out in English from Seagull Books. Kaouther Adimi's Our Riches, translated by Chris Andrews, is also newly out from  New Directions; it follows the story of Edmond Charlot  and Les Vraies Richesses bookshop in Algiers.

Comedian Russell Howard on his new lockdown TV show, Home Time. Video conferenced from his childhood bedroom, he gives his entertaining take on life in quarantine, with remote music performances and interviews with comedians and key workers. The 2020 International Prize for Arabic Fiction has been announced today. The winner is Algerian novelist Abdelouahab Aissaoui for The Spartan Court which is set in the early 19th century when Algeria was invaded and captured by the French. Aissaoui is the first Algerian to win the prize, designed to increase the international reach of Arabic fiction. Scottish folk singer-songwriter Siobhan Miller is the three times MG Alba Scots Trad Music Awards Singer of the Year and has also won a Radio 2 Folk Award. She discusses her fourth album, All Is Not Forgotten, and performs live. While we’re stuck at home John Mullan is making the case for us raising our spirits by reading, or re-reading, Austen novels. Tonight he makes the case for Northanger Abbey. Presenter: Samira Ahmed Producer: Hannah Robins

  We talk about the Syrian writer Dima Wannous' haunting novel The Frightened Ones, translated by Elisabeth Jacquette. It's a book about fear, panic and anxiety -- in one's body and society, between generations and lovers -- that is also somehow a great pleasure to read. Show Notes: The Frightened Ones was shortlisted for the 2018 International Prize for Arabic Fiction; its English translation is now out in the UK and forthcoming in the US.  We discussed the work of Wannous' father, the brilliant playwright Sa'adallah Wannous, in episode 28, “Sentenced to Hope.”  We mentioned concerns over the spread of COVID-19 in Egyptian prisons. Political prisoner Alaa Abdel Fattah wrote an essay on health and prison before the pandemic. 

MLQ is back from Abu Dhabi, and we talk about the recently awarded International Prize for Arabic Fiction — and an unfortunate controversy this year, involving leaks, no-shows, and calls for prosecution — and the book fair. We also share excerpts from the winning book and from several of the short-listed ones.

Rencontre avec l’écrivain Mohammed Abdelnabi pour parler de son livre La chambre de l’araignée.Dans cette interview, nous discutons de ce roman égyptien qui, s’il n’est pas le premier à évoquer ce sujet dans le monde arabe, est sans doute le premier à lui offrir la place centrale. À une époque où l’homosexualité est sévèrement réprimée en Égypte, l’auteur nous parle de ce livre, écrit en arabe, dans lequel le narrateur est homosexuel. Il nous explique ses intentions et son envie de contribuer à une meilleure compréhension de cette réalité. Une interview réalisée par Anne GreffeTraduction : Rania SamaraVoir la page du podcast de Mohammed Abdelnabi sur So Sweet Planet (+ photos et liens)Présentation par l’éditeurL’affaire du Queen Boat, qui fit à l’époque couler beaucoup d’encre, marque le début de la descente aux enfers de Hani Mahfouz, arrêté le jour-même de la rafle non sur le bateau mais dans la rue, alors qu’il se promène en compagnie de son ami Abdelaziz. Celui-ci, appartenant à une famille influente, est rapidement acquitté. Mais pas Hani, qui passe en prison plusieurs mois d’incessantes humiliations et en sort brisé – tant physiquement que moralement –, et ayant perdu l’usage de la parole.Reclus depuis lors dans une petite chambre d’hôtel, où seule une araignée comble sa solitude, il entreprend, sur le conseil d’un psychiatre, de consigner son histoire, en commençant par son enfance au sein d’une famille aisée. Habité de ses angoisses, il s’attelle à la tâche dans un va-et-vient permanent entre deux temps : avant et après son incarcération, avant et après son mariage forcé, avant et après sa première expérience charnelle avec un homme, avant et après la fréquentation de son mentor – dit “le Prince” pour son élégance et son rayonnement dans le milieu gay.D’autres histoires que la sienne surgissent dans sa mémoire : celles de ses compagnons d’infortune durant son incarcération ou d’homosexuels côtoyés auparavant, tous victimes de l’incompréhension de leurs proches et d’un rejet social quasi unanime, mais qui luttent différemment contre l’ostracisme ambiant, chacun selon son tempérament, tantôt en se repliant douloureusement sur lui-même, tantôt en affichant haut et fort son homosexualité – sans oublier ceux qui finissent par se suicider.Le grand mérite de La Chambre de l’araignée n’est pas seulement d’explorer en profondeur, et pour la première fois, la condition homosexuelle en Égypte, mais aussi de le faire dans une langue toute en retenue, en évitant les clichés et les anachronismes.Né en 1977, Muhammad Abdelnabi a fait des études de langue anglaise, de traduction et d’interprétation simultanée à l’université d’Al-Azhar, au Caire. Il est traducteur-interprète et anime un atelier d’écriture. Son deuxième roman, La Chambre de l’araignée, a été retenu en 2016 sur la short list de l’International Prize for Arabic Fiction. Muhammad Abdelnabi compte incontestablement parmi les écrivains égyptiens les plus brillants de sa génération.La Chambre de l’araignée de Mohammed AbdelnabiÉditions Sindbad / ACTES SUD - “Mondes arabes”Commander La Chambre de l’araignée de Mohammed Abdelnabi sur le site Librairies IndépendantesHuman Rights Watch : Égypte : la chasse aux homosexuels s'intensifie - 6 octobre 2017BBC.com : En Egypte, un an de prison pour l'interview d'un homosexuel - 21 janvier 2019

We talk the Brit Awards, the women dominating the International Prize for Arabic Fiction, John Legend and Palestine, Baby inspiration for Nancy Ajram's new tune plus George Michael's stunning art collection going under the hammer, with Saeed Saeed Arts and Culture Reporter for The National. Listen to #Pulse95Radio in the UAE by tuning in on your radio (95.00 FM) or online on our website: www.pulse95radio.com ************************ Follow us on Social. www.facebook.com/pulse95radio www.twitter.com/pulse95radio www.instagram.com/pulse95radio

What should you recommend to someone who is interested in exploring Arabic literature? We tackle this big question this week; we also talk about the authors short-listed on the International Prize for Arabic Fiction and about North African literature in English translation.

Isobel was born and educated in Cambridge and came to Dubai in 1968 which has been her home ever since.Isobel taught at the Dubai Infants School for several years before her involvement in setting up Al Ittehad Private School and soon after co-founding Magrudy’s, a bookshop chain, in 1975.In addition to Magrudy’s, Isobel actively set about publishing children’s books in Arabic and English that have relevance to children from, and living in, the region. Together with the support of the Mohammed Bin Rashid al Maktoum Foundation, Isobel initiated a new reading and teaching scheme in Arabic, called Bustan Al Qusas, which empowered teachers to write and use their own stories.In 2008 Isobel founded and is Director of the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, the Middle East’s largest celebration of the written and spoken word, bringing people of all ages together with authors from across the world to promote education, debate and, above all else, reading. The Festival won the Best Festival title at the Middle East Event Awards in 2013, 2014 and 2015, and in 2016 was declared Best Family Friendly Day Out at the Time Out Dubai Kids Awards.Awarded the Cultural Personality of the Year by Dr HH Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, the Ruler of Sharjah in 2010, an OBE by HM Queen Elizabeth of Great Britain in 2012, Cultural Icon of UAE by The 3rd Petrochem GR8! Women Awards-Middle East 2013, one of the Watani Humanitarian Awards in 2013 and more recently, the Al Owais Cultural Award 2014 and the Time Out Kids Outstanding Contribution to Children’s Award, Isobel has received official recognition for her tireless campaign to improve literacy and a love of books, particularly for children.In May 2013 and 2014, Middle East Business selected Isobel as one of the most influential Brits and the most inspirational woman living in the UAE. She was also selected at the 2015 Femina Middle East Awards ceremony as an ‘Unstoppable Woman’.On the eve of the 2013 Festival, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, The Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and also the Festival patron, issued a Decree forming the Emirates Literature Foundation, naming Isobel as one of the trustees on the Board. In addition, Isobel also holds the position of CEO of the Foundation.Isobel was appointed a Trustee for the International Prize for Arabic Fiction in 2014, the premier prize for novelists in Arabic.As the co-host of ‘Talking of Books’, broadcast weekly on Dubai Eye 103.8 FM, Isobel has now found an enjoyable way to spend Saturday mornings discussing the latest titles and interviewing authors from around the world.Enjoy the show! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Georgina Godwin interviews Raja Alem, winner of the 2011 International Prize for Arabic Fiction. With reference to her latest book The Dove’s Necklace which she launched at the festival, she discusses her writing —a blend of modern and traditional themes – a style that has made her unique among Saudi authors.

Anne McElvoy talks to Syrian architect Marwa Al-Sabouni about her country's built environment its impact on the behaviour of the people who live there. Also the politics of judging book prizes is debated by Professor Geoffrey Hosking, emeritus professor of Russian history, School of Slavonic & East European Studies, University College London and Fleur Montanaro, Administrator of the International Prize for Arabic Fiction. Writers Lasha Bugadze and Aka Morchiladze discuss Georgian literature past and present. The Battle for Home: The Memoir of a Syrian Architect by Marwa Al-Sabouni is out now.The winner of the 2016 Pushkin House Russian Book Prize is announced on April 25th. These are the shortlisted books Maisky Diaries: Red Ambassador to the Court of St James's 1932-43. Gabriel Gorodetsky, editor (Yale University Press) Stalin: New Biography of a Dictator. Oleg Khlevniuk, translated by Nora Seligman Favorov (Yale University Press) Towards the Flame: Empire, War and the End of Tsarist Russia. Dominic Lieven (Penguin) Russia and the New World Disorder. Bobo Lo (Brookings Institution) Stalin and the Struggle for Supremacy in Eurasia. Alfred Rieber (Cambridge University Press) The End of the Cold War: 1985-1991. Robert Service (Pan Macmillan)The winner of the International Prize for Arabic Fiction 2016 will be announced at an awards ceremony in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday 26 April, the eve of the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair. These are the shortlisted books Mercury by Mohamed Rabie A Sky Close to our House by Shahla Ujayli Numedia by Tareq Bakari Praise for the Women of the Family by Mahmoud Shukair Guard of the Dead by George Yaraq Destinies: Concerto of the Holocaust and the Nakba by Rabai al-MadhounProducer: Torquil MacLeod.

On Tuesday, in Abu Dhabi, Saud Alsanousi was announced winner of the International Prize for Arabic Fiction. In this podcast, recorded the morning after the announcement, deputy editor Ellah Allfrey spoke to Alsanousi about the place of guest workers in the Gulf countries, book clubs in Kuwait and the writing life. The podcast is in English and Arabic.

Harriett Gilbert talks to the Egyptian writer, Bahaa Taher an Egyptian novelist who writes in Arabic and is the winner of the inaugural International Prize for Arabic Fiction, awarded in 2008.