German-Arab Literature Exchange
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Jadd Hilal's debut novel
Women searching and yearning for home
In his debut novel, "Flügel in der Ferne" (Wings in the Distance), award-winning French author Jadd Hilal gives voice to four women from four different generations who tell the stories of their uprooted lives in Europe and the Middle East. By Volker Kaminski
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Kurdish author Bachtyar Ali
Tackling the tornado of history
Bachtyar Ali sends the hero of his latest novel – "Mein Onkel den der Wind mitnahm" – literally flying. Jamshid is so thin after his years as a political prisoner that a gust of wind sweeps him through the bars of his prison cell and out to freedom. Volker Kaminski read the book
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Khaled Khalifa’s “No One Prayed Over Their Graves”
The maelstrom of Aleppo
Longlisted for the 2020 International Prize for Arabic Fiction and now available in German translation, Khaled Khalifa’s novel “No One Prayed Over Their Graves” details lives and loves lost against the backdrop of a city undergoing seismic change. Joseph Croitoru read the book
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Abu Dhabi Book Fair
Arabic literature, criticism and commerce
These days, at the Abu Dhabi Book Fair, the problems of the Arab book market and Arab literature are discussed with astonishing frankness. It has also become an international event – on a scale not seen since the Arab revolutions. Stefan Weidner reports from Abu Dhabi
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Book fair in Algiers
Habib Tengour and the "Poems of the World"
The Algiers book fair has taken place for the 25th time, following a two-year break owing to the pandemic. Independent Algerian publisher APIC used the occasion to showcase its avant-garde poetry series, initiated by the Algerian poet and ethnologist Habib Tengour. Interview by Regina Keil-Sagawe
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ArabLit & ArabLit Quarterly
Arabic literature in German translation
The ArabLit brand, brainchild of writer and reviewer Marcia Lynx Qualey, is a treasure trove for those interested in literature from the Arab world. The journal generally showcases literary works translated from Arabic into English, but for Qantara.de the question remains: what Arab and Arabic literature has been translated into German?
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Interview with Jordanian novelist Jalal Barjas
"Some Arab writers present distorted images of their societies"
Jordanian writer Jalal Barjas' novel "Notebooks of the Bookseller", which won this year's Booker International Prize for Arabic Fiction, was celebrated at a symposium during the Berlin International Literature Festival in September. A large number of Germans and Arabs interested in Arabic literature attended. On the sidelines, journalist Rim Najmi caught up with Jalal Barjas
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Literary power politics
Spotlight on the UAE's 30th Abu Dhabi Book Fair
They’ve already got the Louvre; they’ll soon have a Guggenheim Museum as well – and now the Emirates have added literature to their quest for cultural supremacy in the Arab world. Stefan Weidner reports from Abu Dhabi, from the first book fair of this year to take place in person
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Habermas, the Sheikh Zayed Award and Arab reactions
Habermas and the contradictions of the Arab intellectual
Uproar, fuss and mutual accusation: following the German philosopher Juergen Habermas' rejection of the 2021 Sheikh Zayed Book Award, the social media posts by those involved in the Arabic cultural scene covered a broad spectrum. Islam Anwar takes a look for Qantara
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A triumph for discourse
Juergen Habermas' rejection of the Sheikh Zayed Book Award
After at first agreeing to accept the grand prize as "Cultural Personality of the Year" in the Sheikh Zayed Book Award, Juergen Habermas then decided to decline the honour. A commentary by Reinhard Schulze
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Sheikh Zayed Book Award
Why has Juergen Habermas rejected a prize from the UAE?
At nearly 92, Juergen Habermas is still advocating for a robust and transparent civil society. Now Germany's greatest living intellectual has rejected a book award from the United Arab Emirates. Stuart Braun has the details
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Chaza Charafeddine's "Beirut für wilde Mädchen"
Flashback from Beirut
A childhood and youth in Beirut, a life lived between Lebanon, Switzerland and Germany, and a unique voice in Arabic-language literature: "Beirut für wilde Mädchen" sees Lebanese author Chaza Charafeddine tell her country’s story from a highly personal perspective. Gerrit Wustmann read the book