For such a small collection of stories, Folktales from Syria packs an interesting punch for an English reader. Beginning with an introduction by Andrea Rugh, this collection works to inform and educate the reader as much as it does to entertain. In the Preface, Rugh takes the reader through her meeting with Samir Tahhan, … Continue reading Folktales from Syria
'[...] she held out a hand above my head. "Do you swear by God that you'll tell the world what I have to say?" she asked. "I swear." "Swear by the thing you hold most dearly deep in your heart." I swore quietly, and as her palm came down on my head … Continue reading The Crossing: My Journey to the Shattered Heart of Syria
Award-winning publisher Arsenal Pulp Press has a reputation for championing quality international literature, and it only takes a scan of their forthcoming titles to prove this reputation to be well-earned. Founded in 1971, the Vancouver-based indie has consistently produced gorgeous books from diverse viewpoints, with special attention paid to underrepresented communities. Translated titles, such as … Continue reading Publisher Spotlight: Arsenal Pulp Press
Review by: Lindsey Hilsum Channel 4 News' International Editor Most western TV viewers know Aleppo as a violent, divided, destroyed city where children covered in bomb dust cry amongst jagged ruins, or are rushed to makeshift hospitals along debris-strewn streets. Khaled Khalifa’s Aleppo, by contrast, is a place of alleyways and elegant perfume stores, of … Continue reading No Knives in the Kitchens of This City
By Nuri Al-Khalaf Syrian Literature Month Editor It has been said that Arabs took soil with them while they travelled - to smell it and be reminded of their homelands. Today, Syrians are taking with them their dreams, hopes, pains, memories and literature wherever their feet take them after the disastrous events in their country. … Continue reading Amid the Literature of Syria, the Cradle of Civilization
Global Literature in Libraries Initiative 