Category Archives: Uncategorized

Could it get any better? It seems that yes, it can. The current issue – themed The Eye – is stunning and this one features one my recent translations, of Syrian writer Rami Tawil’s beautiful and haunting short story, Eyes Shut. Print and online editions all available via: https://arablit.org/2019/12/28/print-editions-of-arablit-quarterly-the-eye-and-a-poem/

The third issue of this fabulous new journal of Arabic literature in translation is a fine mix of strong writing and illustration, with a theme of The Sea. All the work published so far has been excellent, but I’ve found this issue to be particularly special. Don’t miss Muhammad El-Hajj’s novella “Nobody Mourns the City’sContinue reading “ArabLit Quarterly Issue III out now”

Shatila Stories sadly didn’t win the EBRD prize, although some excellent titles made it on to the shortlist and I am slowly making my way through them. But the good news is that Shatila Stories is now available in Arabic! It’s not often that a book is translated back into the source language, but thisContinue reading “Shatila Stories now available in Arabic!”

Our collaborative novel, published by Peirene Press, has been selected as one of ten titles being considered for the EBRD prize, an award backed by the British Council. I hadn’t realised that Shatila Stories isn’t eligble for any other translated literature awards because it was written by multiple writers. So here are all fingers andContinue reading “Shatila Stories makes EBRD Literature Prize Longlist!”

It’s been in the making for more than three years, but the English translation of ‘After Coffee’ was finally launched and celebrated at SOAS univeristy in London on Monday January 14th, 2019. Myself and author Abdelrashid Mahmoudi read excerpts of the novel, while Mahmoudi elaborated on the writing process, how much of Medhat’s story isContinue reading “‘After Coffee’ finally sees its UK launch”