Literature
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Book fair in Algiers
Habib Tengour and the "Poems of the World"
The Algiers book fair has taken place for the 25th time, following a two-year break owing to the pandemic. Independent Algerian publisher APIC used the occasion to showcase its avant-garde poetry series, initiated by the Algerian poet and ethnologist Habib Tengour. Interview by Regina Keil-Sagawe
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Nobel laureate Abdulrazak Gurnah
Exile, migration and the art of writing
The Tanzanian-born Nobel Prize winner talks to Annabelle Steffes-Halmer about his decision to leave Zanzibar, to write in English – and about the rise of African writers in the post-colonial era
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60 years German-Turkish Recruitment Agreement
German-Turks take the arts by storm
Since the Labour Recruitment Agreement in 1961, Germany has become a second homeland for many people of Turkish origin. Not only have they become an important element of German society, they have also helped influence and shape the German arts scene quite considerably. By Ceyda Nurtsch
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Fariba Vafi's "Die Reise im Zug"
Portrait of a mother
Iranian author Fariba Vafi is adept at describing everyday scenes and concealing within them something ambiguous, in parts strange and grotesque. She writes novels – which have been translated into many languages and received numerous prizes (most recently the LiBeraturpreis Litprom for Tarlan) – and short stories. Vafi's skill for subtle understatement shines in her 'Train Ride'. Volker Kaminski read the book
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Abdulrazak Gurnah's "Paradise"
"Freedom is not something they can take away"
When Abdulrazak Gurnah was named winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2021, the German translation of his novel "Paradise" was out of print. In early December, it was re-released. "Paradise" upends the prevailing black-and-white view of colonialism in the most striking manner. By Felix Stephan
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"This Pale" – Rumi set to music
A celebration of the complexity of love
Four musicians – two Iranian, two Indian – have created an album of music inspired by the poetry of Rumi. Like the poet's works, the album advocates tolerance, inclusivity and love in divisive times. By Richard Marcus
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Whirling dervishes honour Rumi
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Whirling dervishes honour Rumi
Each year, thousands of people travel to the Turkish city of Konya to attend a week-long series of events and ceremonies that mark the death of the 13th-century Islamic poet, scholar and Sufi mystic Jalaladdin Rumi. By Francisco Seco
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"The Book of Charlatans"
Mediaeval Syria's answer to Mark Twain
In this new bilingual edition, translated by Humphrey Davies, al-Jawbari, one of the thirteenth century's leading experts in skullduggery reveals all there is to know about the wiles of false prophets, quacks, prestidigitators, cat burglars, money changers, false alchemists, and – worst of all – women. By Marcia Lynx Qualey
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Book review: Nadia Hashimi's "Sparks like Stars"
Reclaiming memories long buried
In "Sparks Like Stars", Nadia Hashimi pulls the reader behind the curtain of modern history to peek backstage at the impact of war and terror on individual lives. Richard Marcus read the book
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Persian poetry in the 21st century
The poem in contemporary Iran
We’re familiar with Hafez, Forough Farrokzhad and Nima Yusij, but 21st century Persian poetry, the poetry of Iran written since the Islamic Revolution, is rarely accessible in German. Publishers Ali Abdollahi and Kurt Scharf are now seeking to change that with a comprehensive anthology. Gerrit Wustmann read the book for Qantara.de
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Maryam Djahani's debut novel "Ungebremst durch Kermanschah"
Tearing through Kermanshah
In her debut novel "Ungebremst durch Kermanschah", Maryam Djahani draws readers into the life of a young woman desperate to assert herself against Iranian provincialism and her family. Gerrit Wustmann read the book for Qantara.de