Treasures of the Arabic and Islamic Worlds at Qatar National Library The Heritage Library’s location at the heart of Qatar National Library reflects its important role as the guardian of the nation’s history and heritage. The extensive collection of heritage and historical materials traces scientific, artistic, social and economic development throughout the Arab and Islamic worlds. It also highlights the … Continue reading #QATARILITMONTH: The Heritage Library at Qatar National Library
Articles
#QATARILITMONTH:The Museum of Islamic Art
The Museum of Islamic Art Destination for Art, Knowledge and Architecture The Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) is a landmark of Qatar. The museum opened its door for visitors on November 2008 (Alarabiya, 2008). The museum's significance to Qatar can be understood through knowing that it was designed by the architect I.M. Pei, who also … Continue reading #QATARILITMONTH:The Museum of Islamic Art
#QATARILITMONTH:Souk Waqif
Souk Waqif: Once Upon a Time Maher Atter- Photographer Mohamed Ali Abdullah- Text and Drawings Souk Waqif: Where past and present reside side-by-side A walk through the labyrinth-like passageways of Souk Waqif in Doha, Qatar tantalizes all of your senses. Careening through the passageways at each turn there is a new smell. The pungent smell of the fresh spices, the … Continue reading #QATARILITMONTH:Souk Waqif
Welcome to #QatariLitMonth
The Essence of Qatar Al Zubara Fort I am thrilled to start with you this month’s journey where you will take a glimpse of the nation of Qatar. I have been invited to be the guest editor for July to share with you stories from my beloved country. For those who don’t know much about … Continue reading Welcome to #QatariLitMonth
The Booktrekker: Kuwait
READ My book selection for Kuwait was Motorbikes and Camels, by Nejoud Al-Yagout. This is the author’s debut novel, and I thought the format was particularly interesting. The book consists of stories about thirteen different people, all of whose lives are intertwined with the lives of one or more other people in the book. While the plot … Continue reading The Booktrekker: Kuwait
#WorldKidLit Wednesday: Temple Alley Summer
Written by award-winning Japanese author Sachiko Kashiwaba, Temple Alley Summer* features not one but two ghost stories. The first is the outer shell in this engrossing middle-grade novel and a fully-fleshed narrative; the other is an embedded fairy-tale fantasy with intriguing connections and parallels to the first. In the “outer” ghost story, Kazu, who is … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Temple Alley Summer
The Booktrekker: Kenya
READ Dust, by Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor, opens with the shooting death of a young man on the streets of Nairobi. He is killed by the police after stealing back the car that was stolen from him. The young man’s name is Moses Ebewesit Odidi Oganda (Odidi), and his death shatters his family: his estranged father Nyipir, … Continue reading The Booktrekker: Kenya
The Booktrekker: Japan
READ One thing I’m enjoying about this reading-the-world project is that it’s nudging me to read international authors I’ve always heard about, but have never read. In the case of Japan, I finally read a book by bestselling author Haruki Murakami – Norwegian Wood, translated by Jay Rubin. As the novel opens, 37-year-old Toru Watanabe is … Continue reading The Booktrekker: Japan
The Booktrekker: Italy
READ One of the reasons why I started this project was to help fill in some of the gaps in my knowledge of geography and world history. The book I read for Italy, Eva Sleeps, written by Francesca Melandri and translated by Katherine Gregor, was a perfect selection to teach me about a region and an era … Continue reading The Booktrekker: Italy
#WorldKidLit Weekend: A Conversation with Avery Fischer Udagawa, Translator of Award-winning Japanese Children’s Author Sachiko Kashiwaba
Avery Fischer Udagawa’s translations from Japanese to English include the middle grade novels Temple Alley Summer by Sachiko Kashiwaba and J-Boys: Kazuo’s World, Tokyo, 1965 by Shogo Oketani. Her short story translations have appeared in the Kyoto Journal, Words Without Borders, The Best Asian Short Stories 2018, and Tomo: Friendship Through Fiction—An Anthology of Japan Teen … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Weekend: A Conversation with Avery Fischer Udagawa, Translator of Award-winning Japanese Children’s Author Sachiko Kashiwaba
Global Literature in Libraries Initiative 