The blog features ongoing research, unfinished projects, fragments, and other miscellany that I might revisit, expand or leave as it is.
Death in Egypt
Reflections on death and suicide in Egypt. Part of the conversations on how to talk about death, that were developed during the course, “How do we talk about death”, at the Cairo Institute for Liberal Arts and Sciences
The Long Way Back: An Epic of Tragic Insights
A review of Fouad al-Tikerli’s The Long Way Back (1980)
al-Rubaie's Tattoo or Post-revolutionary Melancholy
A review of Abdel Rahman Majeed al-Rubaie’s novella al-washm or the tattoo
al-Majus or through the Labyrnith
A review of Ibrahim al-Koni epic novel al-Majus as part of #100ArabNovels series
What Messadi's Abu Hurairah Didn't Say
Review of Mahmoud Messadi’s Abu Hurairah Said (1973)
Rama and the Dragon: An Avatar too Short of the Truth
A review of Edwar al-Kharrat’s Rama and the Dragon (2002)
Too Desolate for Words: Reading Haidar Haidar's Desolate Time
A review of Haidar Haidar’s Desolate Time (1973)
Maqamat with a Spin: Emile Habiby's The Secret Life of Saeed: The Pessoptimist
A review, of Emile Habibi's second novel Al-Waqāʾiʿ al-gharībah fī 'khtifāʾ Saʿīd Abī 'l-Naḥsh al-Mutashāʾil or The Secret Life of Saeed The Pessoptimst (1974)
The Searing Sun: Ghassan Kanafani's Men in the Sun
A review of Ghassan Kanafani’s Men in the Sun (1960)
All is not Fair in War: Yusuf al-Qa'id's War in the Land of Egypt
A review of Yusuf al-Qa'id’s War in the Land of Egypt (1978)
An Autobiography in Disguise: Jabra Ibrahim Jabra’s Searching for Walid Masoud
A review of Jabra Ibarhim Jabra’s In Search of Walid Massoud
Ghassan Kanafani: To Fayza
This is a translation of one of the letters that Palestinian author and freedom fighter, Ghassan Kanafani (1936-1972), exchanged with Ghada al-Samman (al-Samman would later publish these letters under, 'Ghassan al-Kanafani's Letters to Ghada al-Samman, 1992).
On laughing at the horrors of capitalism
Reflections on Love and Heteronormativity
Reflections on notions of love in the LGBT+ community in Egypt and what it means to frame such relationships in a context inimical to it