Country: Lebanon

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The Lebanese author Etel Adnan (photo: Pierre René-Worms/RFI)

Book review: Etel Adnan's "Conversations with My Soul"

Illuminating the obscure

In 1980, the Lebanese artist and writer Etel Adnan published the book-length poem "The Arab Apocalypse", which to this day is still regarded as one of the most important works on the civil war in Lebanon. A selection of some of Adnan's works has been translated into German and published under the title "Gespräche mit meiner Seele" (Conversations with My Soul). A review by Claudia KramatschekMore

Interview with Etel Adnan: ''I react to what is happening in the world''Elias Khoury's novel "Yalo": The word and the warObituary Lebanese poet Ounsi el-Hage: One of the founders of Arab surrealism From Syrian writers to Lebanese publishers: Unequal neighbours
Amjad Nasser (photo: Amjad Nasser)

Amjad Nasser on the role of Arab writers in Arab society

Speaking out in societies without words

In the last four years, Arab public intellectuals have come in for much close scrutiny and criticism. Some people complain that Arab thinkers and writers have disappeared from political life, while others argue that most of them are too much in the public eye, having allied themselves with one dictator or another. Marcia Lynx Qualey spoke to Jordanian poet and journalist Amjad Nasser about the role of Arab writers in contemporary Arab societyMore

Egypt's literati: Shifting sands, choosing sidesInterview with Ahdaf Soueif: Happy to Follow the Tahrir Youth's LeadInterview with Syrian Writer Nihad Sirees: On Literature's Honest SurrenderThe Arabic language: A better understandingThe Arab world: Arabic: the last tie that binds
The Palestinian-Jordanian political scientist and journalist Rami G. Khouri (photo: AP)

Interview with Rami G. Khouri

Fragmentation of the Arab world

The Palestinian-Jordanian political scientist and writer Rami G. Khouri sees links between increasing religious fanaticism and the reinvigoration of the old elites after the Arabellion. In an interview with Juliane Metzker, he looks back at four years of transformation, stagnation and instability in the Arab states.More

The Geopolitical Situation in the Middle East: Between terror and the dissolution of orderRelations between Saudi Arabia and Egypt: Conditional supportSunni-Shia conflict: The enemy of my enemyPeace initiatives for Syria: Negotiate locally, implement internationally
Signpost pointing in opposite directions, towards Iran and towards Syria (photo: Fotolia/xstock)

Iran's foreign policy

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All options are open

Is Iran part of the problem or part of the solution to the conflicts in the Near and Middle East? There are actually good arguments for both points of view. By Bahman NirumandMore

Saudi Arabia and Iran after the death of King Abdullah: No prospect of rapprochement The West's strategy in the Middle East: Hollow allianceThe Middle East in 2014: New regional power gamesNuclear negotiations with Iran: The nuclear waiting gameIran's foreign policy in Yemen and Iraq: Arab fear of the "extended arm of Iran"
Tania Saleh (source: taniasaleh.com)

The Lebanese singer Tania Saleh

Beirut's window on Rio

Even though the 45-year-old singer Tania Saleh never led the life of an underground artist, she hasn't trodden the comfortable and straightforward path of pop music either. As a young woman, she explored her talent and gained valuable experience in Beirut's rock scene. By Stefan FranzenMore

Interview with Yasmine Hamdan: "I Am a Nomad"The German-Afghan jazz singer Simin Tander: An unknown homelandPortrait of the singer Cigdem Aslan: Songs of the outcastsThe Tabadoul Orchestra: Worldwide "Wahab"
Raja Alem, the only woman to win the IPAF, was joint winner in 2011 for her novel "The Dove's Necklace" (photo: DW/J. Kürten)

Women and the International Prize for Arabic Fiction

How many women does it take to win the IPAF?

The International Prize for Arabic Fiction (IPAF) was launched in 2007. Since then, only one woman has won the prize. Over the course of the past eight years, there has been much debate about the appearance (or not) of women on the long- and shortlists for the prize. Marcia Lynx Qualey looks back on the history of women and the IPAFMore

International Prize for Arabic Fiction 2014: "Frankenstein in Baghdad": Beyond good and evilInterview with Saudi Arabian writer Raja Alem: "When I write I am free, like flying in my dreams" Interview with the Syrian writer Samar Yazbek: Divided society, divided souls Book review: Rosa Yassin Hassan's "Guardians of the Air": Nine months of suffering, hope and fear
Jabbour Douaihy (photo: Giangiacomo Feltrinelli Editore)

Book review: Jabbour Douaihy's "June Rain"

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A "whodunit" without the "who"

A "whodunit" without the "who"? What sounds like a recipe for disappointment for the reader is, according to Marcia Lynx Qualey, an important and a delightful book and certainly not the first contemporary Lebanese novel to take this approachMore

Obituary: Lebanese poet Ounsi el-Hage: One of the founders of Arab surrealism Interview with the Syrian writer Samar Yazbek: Divided society, divided souls Dossier: Arabic Literature
The Tabadoul Orchestra

The Tabadoul Orchestra

Worldwide "Wahab"

Following in the footsteps of the major Egyptian composer Mohammed Abdel Wahab, the Tabadoul Orchestra brings together musical styles from all over the world. The ensemble was founded by musicians from Cologne, Egypt and Turkey. By Martina SabraMore

The Tabadoul Orchestra websiteA German brass band in the Middle East: Touring the Orient with a trumpet and a notepadMarcel Khalifeh: "An iconic figure of contemporary Arab culture"Music scene in Beirut: Nostalgic about the war
Postcard from the time of the First World War showing the allies Kaiser Wilhelm II, left, Sultan Mehmed V, centre, and Kaiser Franz-Joseph, right (photo: picture-alliance)

Historical roots of the current Middle East crisis

The end of an artificial construct

After the First World War, many people hoped for a lasting order that would bring peace. The mandate system, which was supervised by the international community, was supposed to bring a new form of "benevolent" imperialism to the Middle East. However, the region is still dominated by the problems that were created at that time – more so today than ever before. By Jakob KraisMore

Syria and the Middle East: The end of the Sykes–Picot system?Germans and Ottomans in the First World War: A partnership of privilegeInterview with Daniel Barenboim: "The world is suffering from a lack of leadership"
Syrian refugees in Arsal, Lebanon (photo: Jamie Itani)

Syrian refugees in Lebanon

"We will perish here!"

Fearing a terrorist attack, the Lebanese army has hermetically sealed off the town of Arsal. More than 100,000 Syrian refugees have been trapped there for months. They fear for their own security and the impact of winter. Juliane Metzker reports from ArsalMore

Syrian refugees in Turkey: Time for Turkey's allies to rally roundSyrian refugee children: A lost generation in the makingPhoto gallery: Syrian refugee children in LebanonThe Syrian art project "Cutting Away the Void": Documenting the tragedy of the Syrian revoltSyrian refugees: Driven out of Egypt
Readers at the Cairo book fair (photo: imago/Xinhua)

Crowdfunding for translations of Arabic literature

A new way to reach a wider readership

The "A Bird is not a Stone" crowdfunding campaign may not have gotten as much press as British scientists seeking to fund a moon landing through online donations, but it certainly made a ripple among Arabic literary translators. The success of this campaign showed that crowdfunding can be an important tool in bringing Arabic literature into European languages. By Marcia Lynx QualeyMore

Interview with literary translator Hartmut Faehndrich: "What I don't see is an on-going interest in Arabic literature"Book review: Kamal Ruhayyim's "Diary of a Muslim Jew": An engaging take on a complex themeBook review: Jabbour Douaihy's "June Rain": A "whodunit" without the "who"International Prize for Arabic Fiction 2014: "Frankenstein in Baghdad": Beyond good and evil
Scene from the comic strip about Abu A and Abu B by Karl Sharro (source: karlremarks.com 2014)

Fighting Islamic State with satire and black humour

Terribly funny

Reports and videos of Islamic State's horrendous deeds have left many people around the world speechless with shock. But for many Arabs – both in the countries affected by IS and elsewhere around the globe – the only way to fight IS is to satirise and ridicule it. Elisabeth Lehmann has the detailsMore

Humour in the West Bank: "I laugh, therefore I am"Humour in the Islamic world: Digging at the despotsBassem Youssef: Satire in the Service of DemocracyThe Lebanese satirical magazine "Ad-Dabbour": Hornets' nest in BeirutCreative Protest against Syria's Regime: The Puppet Rebellion
The hand of a dead person peeps out from beneath a sheet (photo: Christoph Bangert)

Book review: Christoph Bangert's "War Porn"

We must not look away

The simple, unassuming cover of this book belies its explosive content: in his latest photobook, "War Porn", photojournalist Christoph Bangert shows the true, ugly face of conflict in all its horror. He presents the reader with an unfiltered selection of images from his photographic archive, documenting the brutality of war, predominantly in the Arab world. By Felix KoltermannMore

Interview with war photographer Christoph Bangert: The naked brutality of warInterview with American photojournalist Michael Kamber: Dispelling the myths of war and war photographyChristoph Bangert's websiteCarolin Emcke's website
Christoph Bangert (photo: private)

Interview with war photographer Christoph Bangert

The naked brutality of war

The photographer and journalist Christoph Bangert has published a book of photographs that his editors refused to use. All of them highlight the horror of war. His book, "War Porn", is an appeal not to look away from the brutality of armed conflict. Monika Griebeler spoke to him about his work and his bookMore

Interview with American photojournalist Michael Kamber: Dispelling the myths of war and war photographyInterview with art historian W. J. T. Mitchell : Images as weapons of warTrauma therapy for victims of violence in Arab countries: Tortured, humiliated and voiceless
Cover of "I Remember Beirut" by Zeina Abirached, published by Graphic Universe

Lebanese comic artist Zeina Abirached

Seeing war through the eyes of a child

The Lebanese artist Zeina Abirached grew up during the country’s 15-year civil war. In her comic books, she describes how her family experienced the horror of this brutal conflict. Juliane Metzker talked to herMore

Marjane Satrapi: East is not East, West is not WestThe Lebanese graphic designer Maya Zankoul: Illustrations against ignorance and oblivionComic artists in the Arab World: Swimming against the tide
The Lebanese journalist and political scientist Abdel Mottaleb El-Husseini. Photo: private

Interview with the political scientist Abdel Mottaleb El-Husseini

Lebanon: "A mixture of vacuum and volcano"

A million Syrian refugees, a catastrophic economy and increasing domestic hostility towards Hezbollah: the war in Syria is pushing neighbouring Lebanon to the limit. Mona Sarkis spoke to the Lebanese journalist Abdel Mottaleb el-Husseini about the current political situation in his countryMore

Hezbollah in Lebanon: How Hezbollah is paralysing Lebanese politicsHezbollah after the Beirut attacks: A battle on many frontsHezbollah and the uprising in Syria: Can the ''Party of God'' weather the Arab Spring?

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