Read on Twitter
"Perhaps the best Arabic writer alive" writes British critic who doesn't read Arabic about an Arabic writer who gets published in translation before Arabic
"a powerful voice in Arabic poetry" declares American academic about a viral Facebook poet
"The mother of all Arabic feminist literature" declares the editor about a mother who has no children
"The Jane Austen of Arabic literature" - Edward Said about Hanan alShaykh
Jane Austen:
Jane Austen:
Year 2021
Arabic writer in translation: this book is about the Arab Spring
Arabic writer in translation: this book is about the Arab Spring
Syrian writer: this book is about a corpse
Iraq writer: this book is about a corpse that comes together with other corpses
Iraq writer: this book is about a corpse that comes together with other corpses
Saudi writer: this novel is about two lovers of different backgrounds who don't get to...
Me: yes they won't get married, the dad will lock her up and she will read Simon de Beauvoir as she weeps in her bedroom
Me: yes they won't get married, the dad will lock her up and she will read Simon de Beauvoir as she weeps in her bedroom
Palestinian writer: this is a multigenerational novel that takes place
Me: from Nakba to Naksa to Oslo, intersected by a massacre, an honor killing, a smuggling attempt, and a siege
Me: from Nakba to Naksa to Oslo, intersected by a massacre, an honor killing, a smuggling attempt, and a siege
Kuwaiti writer: this novel is racist
Me: yeah it is
Me: yeah it is
Egyptian writer: this book is about an individual who gets disillusioned with
Me: with society and politics, suffers sexual frustration, is alcoholic, goes on a quest to score hashish, all while Cairo falls apart
Me: with society and politics, suffers sexual frustration, is alcoholic, goes on a quest to score hashish, all while Cairo falls apart
Moroccan writer: this book is about
Me: a Self-loathing North African who makes it to Europe and fucks a dozen Europeans every night
Me: a Self-loathing North African who makes it to Europe and fucks a dozen Europeans every night
Sudanese writer: this book is about my grandma
Me: yo grandma is dope
Me: yo grandma is dope
Emirati writer: this is about modern Dubai and how
Me: it's full of Indian immigrants whom you really really detest
Me: it's full of Indian immigrants whom you really really detest
