Middle East/North African Lit discussion

Lilya wrote: "Thank you for replying- Unfortuntlery out library system is near to rubbish compared to in the States. I shall keeping hunting for a place to find them, thank you though <3 "

ugh. that is terrible. i am sorry! Hopefully a UK reader will chime in for you!

Lilya wrote: "Could I kindly ask, if there is a place that you get your books? i find MENA books to be a little expensive. If you have any recommendations please let me know. Thank you <3"

In London there is Al Saqi Books
http://www.alsaqibookshop.com

Hi everyone! My name is Maria Elena. I live in Ireland, but I was born in Spain and my mother is from Peru (the place I call “home"). I love to travel and discover new cultures. Recently,I became interested in Arabic language and literature, and I am eager to read more works by authors from the Middle East and North Africa. I think reading is a great way of getting to know other parts of the world.

Hello Maria , I hope you will like it here with us :)
Please explore the group and feel free to ask any questions .

Maria wrote: "Hi everyone! My name is Maria Elena. I live in Ireland, but I was born in Spain and my mother is from Peru (the place I call “home"). I love to travel and discover new cultures. Recently,I became i..."

Welcome Maria Elena!
I know that I have discovered many great books in this group. I hope you do too!

Welcome, Maria Elena! I have a special place for Peru in my heart. Both of the wonderful ladies who have helped take care of my son so I don't have to quit my job are originally from Peru. So my toddler is learning Peruvian Spanish :) and I'm trying to learn about Peru, too. :D

From the US - have been fascinated by the Middle East and North Africa for many years and enjoyed studying Arabic. Interested in learning more about the lives and perspectives of people in the region through their literature.

You've come to the right place, Jer! Welcome!

Welcome Jer , I hope you like it here with us :)

Hello everyone! lovely to join this group! Can anyone recommend any good books focused on the topic of exile? I have recently (2 days ago) started blogging about this topic and would love to read some books on it. If you have any feedback on improving my writing, I would greatly appreciate it too! Also, if you have any blogs I would love to read them. Here is the link to my first blog post : http://www.tellurianwrites.com/five-t...

Tellurian google Refections on Exile by Edward Said. It's a pdf.

Hello, first-time poster Patrick Murtha here, hailing from Queretaro, Mexico, where I teach English in my semi-retirement. I'm 58, single, a graduate of Yale (BA in American Studies) and Boston University (Master of Arts in Teaching). I read enthusiastically across fiction and non-fiction.

Tellurian wrote: "Hello everyone! lovely to join this group! Can anyone recommend any good books focused on the topic of exile? I have recently (2 days ago) started blogging about this topic and would love to read s..."

Welcome Tellurian , I hope you will like it here with us !
Good luck with blogging , the topic of exile is interesting , we are studing if we can do something about it this year , anyway I recommend posting again in " requests and questions" section
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/group...

Patrick wrote: "Hello, first-time poster Patrick Murtha here, hailing from Queretaro, Mexico, where I teach English in my semi-retirement. I'm 58, single, a graduate of Yale (BA in American Studies) and Boston Uni..."

Welcome Patrick , I hope you will like here with us !

Please check our discussion for reading in 2017
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Boutrose wrote: "Hi I'm Boutrose, just joined the group and saw there was an introduction thread.
I'm a palestinian Christian who's trying to get back into reading after becoming severely disinterested after spendi..."

Welcome Boutrose!
You've come to the right group! I certain discovered a lot of authors in this wonderful group and I hope you do yo!

Ahleen Boutros :)
I hope you will like it here with us !

Hi, my name is Joanna and I'm from Dublin in Ireland. My husband is Egyptian and we have been married for 10 years now. I have very limited knowledge of Middle Eastern Literature, with Naguib Mahfouz being my favourite author so far, so I decided to join this group to get some great recommendations about what to read.

Hi Joanne. This group has introduced me to so many interesting books and writers. I hope it does the same for you. Happy reading!

Hi Joanna, sorry for the late reply . I hope you will like it here with us .

Hello! I'm not from the middle east or north africa but I love reading diversely <3 (I'm from Somalia).

I joined this group a year or two ago and use it for recommendations ^_^

Roda wrote: "Hello! I'm not from the middle east or north africa but I love reading diversely <3 (I'm from Somalia).

I joined this group a year or two ago and use it for recommendations ^_^"

Hello Roda , I am glad you like the recommendations :)

Hi everyone,

My name is Khaled Osman,
I am originally from Egypt but I have lived in France for most of my life.

As a literary translator, I have translated into French a large number of novels by writers from Egypt (Nagib Mahfuz, Gamal Ghitani, Ahmad al-Aidy, Ahmad Aboukhnegar, Yussef Ziedan), Palestine (Sahar Khalifa), Iraq (Inaam Kachachi), Yemen (Ali al-Muqri), Nihad Sirees (Syria), Raja Alem (Saudi Arabia).

More recently I started writing my own books and I am the author of two novels (written in French), both published by éditions Vents d'ailleurs:

- "Le Caire à corps perdu" (Cairo reckless), released in September 2011, about an Egyptian who decides to return home after several years spent in Europe. Soon after his arrival in Cairo, however, an accident makes him lose memory and forces him to start an investigation in order to recover his personality...
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

- "La colombe et le moineau" (The Dove and the Sparrow), released in April 2016, about Samir, an Egyptian-born history teacher settled in Paris. One night, he receives a call from Tahrir Square, whereby one of his kins, wounded in the uprising, urges him to come to Cairo, however "not without bringing her with him". This "her" is Lamia, a woman linked to their common Egyptian past who also migrated to Paris a few years earlier. Unfortunately, Samir completely lost her track...
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

Both as a translator and as an author (my novels always have a part of intertextuality in them), I find the field of Middle Eastern literature quite rich and interesting.

Thanks for your interest, and looking forward to exchanging with you...

Khaled

welcome Khaled , I am glad you joined us :)

Hi all! Post-English student from the west coast of the U.S. here, looking to broaden my reading list & outlook. This year I'm working on Palace Walk by Naquib Mahfouz, The Gulistan by Sadi, Words of Paradise by Rumi and My Name is Red by Orhan Pamuk. I'm planning to read only international fiction next year, and I'd like to cultivate a list that is more reflective of individual cultures than of Western publishers.

Hi Nell, That looks like a wonderful reading list for this year! My Name is Red was the first book that I read with this group. Feel free to share your thoughts with us!

I'm glad to hear I'm not alone! I appreciate Pamuk's range of style. Someday I'll get to Kara Kitap ... at least once I'm able to get through a few more of the must-read Turkish writers.

Hello Everyone,

I’m Tamara. I’ve been on goodreads for a little over a year but I’ve only just found you.

About me: I was born in Baghdad, but my parents left Iraq and moved to England when I was very young so I don’t remember it. I was raised in England, attended school there, and then went to university in Beirut. I received my BA and MA from the American University of Beirut. I got my Ph.D. from Washington State and have lived in the US ever since. I’m married and have two children. I have yet to lose my British accent, which was a constant source of embarrassment to my two boys when they were young. ("Mom, why can't you talk like the other mothers?")

I have published four books (2 non-fiction, 2 fiction). They all address my passion in one form or another, which is mythology, women’s role in myths, and feminism. My novels are retellings of Greek myths, so they’re not relevant to this group. But I am currently working on a retelling of the Epic of Gilgamesh from Ancient Mesopotamia, which may be of more interest if I ever get it out.

I’m here because I love to read literature from the Middle East and North Africa—especially by women authors. I’ve read a couple of novels by Alia Mamdouh, Leila Aboulela, Hanan Al-Shaykh and a few others I can’t remember. I love the short stories of Alifa Rifaat. I want to read more books by authors from and about the Middle East and North Africa. I’m hoping I’ll get some good recommendations from this group.

I saw you are reading The Blue Between Sky and Water by Susan Abulhawa. I had never heard of her, so I’m excited to experience a new author. I ordered the book from the library and will join in the discussion if I get it in time.

That's about it from me. Other than to say I'm glad to be here and I really look forward to getting some recommendations on books and having some good discussions.

Thanks and all best to all.

Tamara wrote: "Hello Everyone,

I’m Tamara. I’ve been on goodreads for a little over a year but I’ve only just found you.

About me: I was born in Baghdad, but my parents left Iraq and moved to England when I was..."

Welcome, Tamara. It's great to see you here. Here's a link to the discussion of The Blue Between Sky and Water:

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

We aren't starting until the 15th, and even then, join in whenever, at your pace.

Carol wrote: "Welcome, Tamara. It's great to see you here. Here's a link to the discussion of The Blue Between Sky and Water:

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

We aren't starting until the 15th, and even then, join in whenever, at your pace.

Thank you, Carol.

Tamara wrote: "Hello Everyone,

I’m Tamara. I’ve been on goodreads for a little over a year but I’ve only just found you.

About me: I was born in Baghdad, but my parents left Iraq and moved to England when I was..."

It seems great to "see" you here Tamara!
I found many of the books I mentioned before through this group.
I also will be reading The Blue Between Sky and Water,

Lila wrote: "It seems great to "see" you here Tamara!
I found many of the books I mentioned before through this group.
I also will be reading The Blue Between Sky and Water."

Hi Lila,
Thanks for the welcome. It's nice to "see" a familiar face.
I read some of the books you recommended which (I guess) came from this group. I loved them, especially The Hakawati.
I'm glad to be here.

Welcome Tamara :)
I am sorry it came late ! you gave us a very interesting background and I am glad you found us , I hope you will like it in here :D

Niledaughter wrote: "Welcome Tamara :)
I am sorry it came late ! you gave us a very interesting background and I am glad you found us , I hope you will like it in here :D"

Thanks for the welcome. I'm looking forward to reading some good books with the group.
all best.

Hi All, I am Zahraa, I am Lebanese and have lived mainly in Kuwait and Canada. I recently became interested in Middle Eastern Literature that is originally written in English rather than translated from Arabic.

Welcome Zahraa , I hope you will like it here with us :) I think you may be interested in our current read The Blue Between Sky and Water by Susan Abulhawa .

Niledaughter wrote: "Welcome Zahraa , I hope you will like it here with us :) I think you may be interested in our current read The Blue Between Sky and Water by Susan Abulhawa ."

Here's a link to our discussion, which starts today.

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Hi everybody,

I'm Diane, I'm from France and I've just found you (actually I've just found Goodreads and wish I had discovered it earlier ;)
I love reading and I became interested in literature from North Africa and the Middle East a few years ago when I started learning Arabic. The books I've read so far were mostly by French-speaking authors so I'm really happy to broaden my perspectives with books written in English by different authors.
I've ordered a copy of The Blue Between Sky and Water and I hope I'll be able to read it in time to join the discussion.
Thanks !

Hello, I'm Sofia. I am studying Levantine Arabic and enjoy reading lit from around the world. I look forward to the 2018 reading challenge!

Welcome Sofia!

Welcome Sofia ! I hope you will like it here with us :)
I see you already made your list ! ...that is great .

Welcome Christine!

Hey everyone,
I'm Clare from Kenya and I simply love Oriental literature after my first encounter with Arabian Nights in primary school.
I hope to get more recommendations from this group.

Welcome Ronny!

Hello!

My name is Kayla, and I'm from the United States. I started teaching ESL a few years ago and have become increasingly interested in Middle Eastern culture as I have taught many students and made friends with people from that area, particularly Saudi Arabia. I look forward to diving into the literature since I love books so much. It should be a fun way to learn more!

Hi, I’m Natasha.

I studied Arabic and French at university in the UK, still finding reading literature in Arabic really hard so sticking to works in English related to the region for now!

I’m equally interested in fiction and non-fiction.

Happy reading in 2018!

Welcome Kayla and Natasha!

Welcome on board ! :)

Hello all. I discovered this group thanks to another GR member. I'm particularly interested in Algeria but also trying to read more Arabic fiction and non-fiction in general (in translation unfortunately my Standard Arabic is very basic).

Welcome Cam ! :)
That reminds me; it has been a while for us since we read Algerian literature , I hope we will revisit it again in the near future . You will reach diverse readings from the region in here , hope you will find what suits you .

I'm here because I have had a long interest in the Middle East, largely because of the history of religion which has caused so many wars and psychological affliction. I have tried to discuss that in several books.

The most recent is "Prisoners of History: The Story of Dalia, a Palestinian" which discusses growing up under a military occupation, but also provides a general summary of the history and philosophy of the region. I think you will find it informative ... as well as disturbing.

Thanks, Charles.