Qatar-Bloomsbury Publishing Venture Reveals First List

English titles include: The American Granddaughter by Inaam Kachachi, Nothing to Lose But Your Life by Suad Amiry, and an anthology of Qatari Voices.

Different Ways of Translating al-Khamissi

Translator Jonathan Wright said last night that he felt, for the English-language reader, “religious references [in Arabic literature] are in general problematic.”

The West’s ‘Forensic Interest’ in Arabic Literature

“There is increased interest in the Arab world,” says Iraqi writer Sinaan Antoon. “But I call it forensic interest. For the most part it’s bad, because it’s assumed that novels and poems are going to explain September 11 to you.”

Free Market = No Censorship?

Ramy Habeeb, of Arabic publisher Kotobarabia, “sees censorship declining once free market mechanisms enable each country to realize the far-reaching economic and cultural benefits of a thriving book publishing community.” Um, sure.

The Emirates: Arabic Language’s Decline = Book Scene’s Gains?

Abu Dhabi is the region’s top book fair. The Cairo fair—once the grandest, now just the biggest in body count—is delightful, but not of the same species. The only fair that could contest Abu Dhabi’s top spot is Dubai’s “Emirates Airlines” festival, set to begin March 10.

However, this comes as Arabic in the Emirates is on the decline.