Al Majalla's Book Watch

Al Majalla’s Book Watch highlights two books that showcase the rich literary scene in the Arab world. The first is "A Roof Underground" by Syrian author Nawar Almaghout, published by Ramita Publications in the UK. Almaghout’s collection of short stories portrays the changes experienced by Syrians over the past three quarters of a century through the lens of Salamiyah, Al-Thawrah, Raqqa, and Aleppo’s historic old quarters.

The narratives revolve around the tensions between marginalised communities and the oppressive regime of the Assad era, which lasted for half a century.

The other book reviewed by Al Majalla is "The Cultural Critic on Trial" by Iraqi scholar Raeda Al Ameri, published by the Abjad Foundation in Iraq. Al Ameri’s work reevaluates the role of cultural critics using the metaphor of a trial. She examines the shift from classical literary criticism to cultural criticism, which scrutinises cultural structures, power relations, and ideologies hidden within creative works.

Al Ameri employs tools from the humanities such as sociology, anthropology, history, and politics to evaluate the cultural critic’s methodology. The book delves into the reception of cultural criticism within Arab discourse, exploring how Western concepts were introduced and applied to Arab heritage. Al Ameri also demonstrates how cultural criticism challenged classical schools and spurred reactions, ultimately leading to a clearer distinction between the aesthetic value of literature and its social function.