Qantara.de - Dialog mit der islamischen Welt

The famous mystic Ibn Arabi’s 61 poems have been translated into German for the first time by Stefan Weidner. But are the poems really all that easy to understand? By Marian BrehmerMore

Many Arab civil war refugees have been forced to abandon prosperous lives in a homeland destroyed by war in order to reach the safety of Europe. But traumatic experiences are not all they bring with them; there is also a wealth of literature which is still unknown to many of us. By Melanie Christina MohrMore

The novels of Yemeni author Ali al-Muqri are well-known to Arab readers and a few have already been translated into other languages. Al-Muqri often deals with subjects like sex, war and religion. His novel ″Hurma″ (French: ″Femme interdite″) won him the French prize for Arabic literature. Interview by Amida SholanMore

In Tunisia, the poet Najet Adouani is regarded as a courageous fighter for both the free word and women's rights. Born in the south of the country in 1956, her most powerful weapons are the beauty of language and the poetry of her images. However, when it became clear that she was a Salafist target, she had to leave Tunisia at short notice. Adouani is currently living in Berlin, where Claudia Kramatschek met her More

When Goethe compiled over 200 poetic works to create his West-East Divan in 1814 and 1815, the 60-year-old had already been fascinated with the Orient his whole life. But what made the poet's mind wander to far-off climes? By Melanie Christina MohrMore

The Algerian author, historian and filmmaker Assia Djebar was the "grande dame" of Francophone Maghreb literature, a figurehead for generations of women writers in the Arab world. Right up until the very end, she was considered a favourite for the Nobel Prize in literature. She died on 6 February at the age of 78. An obituary by Regina Keil-SagaweMore

70 million books, 47 participating countries, 850 publishers ... and all for an admission price of just under ten cents. After 46 years, the Cairo International Book Fair is not only the oldest in the Arab world; with one million visitors, it is also the second largest book fair on the planet. By Amira El Ahl in CairoMore