Ten books by Arab writers to look out for this October
A Libyan baker takes care of the house while his wife earns their living. Two Palestinian teenagers meet at the Louvre and uncover a shared family history. In Beirut, a writer examines the city she calls home. This month’s books by Arab writers published in English range from Mohammed Alnaas’s prize-winning Bread on Uncle Milad’s Table to new essays by Zaina Arafat and Lina Mounzer. English…
Here are ten books by Arab writers to look out for this October:
1. Mohammed Alnaas' prize-winning novel "Bread on Uncle Milad's Table" follows a Libyan baker struggling to meet family expectations while managing household duties.
2. Seraj Assi's "October 6 in the US" tells a Palestinian love story set in a besieged camp, where hunger and bombardment threaten survival.
3. Ghassan Kanafani's essay "Palestinian Resistance Literature Under Occupation" examines Palestinian writing and culture during the Nakba era, including contributions from Mahmoud Darwish and Hanna Abu Hanna.
4. Hooda Shawa's "The Necklace of Seven Souls" follows two teenage Palestinians at the Louvre who uncover their shared family history and become entangled with art forgers.
5. Rashid El-Daif's historical novel "Paving the Sea" examines Darwin's theory of natural selection through the experiences of two Lebanese students expelled for advocating scientific progress.
6. Zaina Arafat's essay collection "Our Arab" explores family history, parenthood, and maintaining a connection to Palestine while living abroad.
7. Hanaa Ahmad Jabr's debut collection "I Drag My Sorrow" in English brings together prose poems about life in Iraq over the past two decades, including the impact of ISIS violence.
8. Lina Mounzer's "Janus City" weaves personal memories with the political and mythological history of Beirut, examining the city's resilience in the face of repeated disasters.
9. May Ziadeh's new essays offer insights into her writing process and perspectives on the Arab world.
10. Iraqi poet Hanaa Ahmad Jabr's first solo collection in English, "I Drag My Sorrow," showcases her bilingual collaboration with translator Jennifer Jean.
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