Qantara.de - Dialog mit der islamischen Welt

After at first agreeing to accept the grand prize as "Cultural Personality of the Year" in the Sheikh Zayed Book Award, Juergen Habermas then decided to decline the honour. A commentary by Reinhard SchulzeMore

A childhood and youth in Beirut, a life lived between Lebanon, Switzerland and Germany, and a unique voice in Arabic-language literature: "Beirut für wilde Mädchen" sees Lebanese author Chaza Charafeddine tell her country’s story from a highly personal perspective. Gerrit Wustmann read the bookMore

Jordanian author Amjad Nasser, who died in 2019, presents an impressive tale of homelands, life in exile and the hardships of returning home. His profound eloquence and use of experimental literary forms make “Land of No Rain” a landmark publication in modern Arabic literature, writes Martina Sabra in her review for QantaraMore

Seit 2015 ist das Interesse an syrischer Literatur in deutscher Übersetzung stark gestiegen. Künstler*innen, Übersetzer*innen und Verleger*innen erzählen von ihren Erfahrungen – und darüber, wieso der Hype für sie nicht nur förderlich ist. Von Mari OdoyMore

Since 2015, war has been raging in Yemen – a country about which people in Europe know astonishingly little. Cologne-based writer Guy Helminger visited Yemen in 2009, six years before hostilities began. He describes his experience in his book "Die Lehmbauten des Lichts" (Clay buildings of light). Interview by Gerrit WustmannMore

Mustafa Khalifaʹs "The Shell – Memoirs of a Hidden Observer", which has been translated into ten languages, is one of the most famous prison novels in Arabic literature. Khaled Salameh spoke to Khalifa about the world of the novel, his identity, his country and his exileMore

The Arabic Childrenʹs Literature Festival held recently in Munich presented a selection of recommended childrenʹs books in Arabic. The catalogue is one of the early outcomes of a three-year project run by the International Youth Library, with the aim of bringing as yet unknown Arabic childrenʹs books to Germany. By Claudia MendeMore