Collects twenty-four short stories by Arabic authors such as Bahaa Taher, Alifa Rifaat, and Edward El-Kharrat, which explore such themes as prostitution, adultery, and arranged marriage.

Far from being social, orthodox or merely anecdotal, modern Arabic fiction is in fact significant and radical in the world context of modern fiction, as this book shows. It includes an introduction to and critique of the short story as well as a selection of Arabic short stories, chosen and translated by the author.

The stories collected here are by leading authors of the short story form in the Middle East today. In addition to works by writers already wellknown in the West, such as Idwar al-Kharrat, Fu'ad al-Takarli and Nobel Prize winner Naguib Mahfouz, the collection includes stories by key authors whose fame has hitherto been restricted to the Middle East. This bilingual reader is ideal for students of Arabic as well as lovers of literature who wish to broaden their appreciation of the work of Middle Eastern writers. The collection features stories in the original Arabic, accompanied by an English translation and a brief author biography, as well as a discussion of context and background. Each story is followed by a glossary and discussion of problematic language points.

This reader consists of the full Arabic text of 11 carefully chosen and very readable short stories by established Egyptian, Iraqi, Syrian and Jordanian writers. The earliest story, written in 1929, is by the Egyptian Mahmud Tahir Lashin; the most recent by the Iraqi writer, Fuad al-Takarli, written in 1972. Each story has an introduction, in English, with biographical information about the author, placing him in his literary context, a description of the contents and a brief analysis of the story itself. In addition, each story is accompanied by a critical literary analysis. The aim of this collection is to encourage a literary appreciation of modern Arabic texts, and an understanding of some of the cultural conflicts reflected in the writings. This title includes writers such as suf Idris, Idwar El Kharrat, Yahya Haqqi, Zakariyya Tamir and Ghalib Halasa. It is ideal for students of Arabic language and literature.

This volume provides an authoritative survey of creative writing in Arabic from the mid-nineteenth century to the present day.

This companion provides information on the lives and works of about 150 authors who write primarily in Arabic, covering the first known works of Arabic literature in the 5th and 6th centuries A.D. to the present day. While concentrating on literary authors, writers from the fields of history, geography, and philosophy are also represented. The individuals represented were chosen primarily from the Encyclopedia of Arabic Literature. Among the major authors are Najib Mahfuz, the 1988 Nobel laureate; Nawal Saadawi, the Egyptian physician who is the leading female literary author in the Arab world and the most frequently translated into English; Abu al-Ala' al-Ma'arri, the 11th century poet whose verses are taught to every Arab schoolchild; and Avicenna, the great physician and philosopher, transmitter and interpreter of Aristotle, whose work on medicine was long the standard not only in the Middle East but also (in Latin translation) in Europe. In addition, entries will be included for the anonymous romances so common in Arabic literature, such as The Arabian Nights, a cycle of stories perhaps even better known in the West than in the Arab world. Interest in the history and culture of the Arab world at U.S. universities has taken a quantum leap since the events of September 11, 2001. In this book, the author demonstrates that at least three major, distinct literary and cultural traditions are included within the fields of Middle Eastern and Islamic studies—Arabic, Persian, and Turkic. The Arabic tradition is the oldest, largest, and most widely dispersed. Undergraduate courses in Arabic literature and culture are now being taught at both lower- and upper-levels at many universities. Such courses are often used by undergraduates to fulfill basic educational requirements for their degrees. Students in such courses often have difficulty finding information on Arab writers, and this volume fills the void.