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TTHISHIS ISSUEISSUE: TThehe NovelNovel inin thethe ArabArab WorldWorld ● TThehe ArabicArabic novelnovel ● TThehe n novelovel isis thethe numbernumber oneone ArabArab literaryliterary genregenre ● PProse:rose: t thehe m modernodern chroniclechronicle ofof thethe AArabsrabs ● TThehe IIraqiraqi novelnovel emergesemerges fromfrom thethe wombwomb ofof disasterdisaster ● TThehe eenvironmentalnvironmental ethicsethics ofof tthehe LibyanLibyan novelnovel ● SSeasoneason ofof migrationmigration toto thethe novelnovel ● TThehe pprize-winningrize-winning ArabicArabic novelnovel ● TThehe AArabicrabic novelnovel inin thethe DigitalDigital AgeAge ● AArabicrabic novelsnovels inin translationtranslation ● PPhotohoto competitioncompetition resultsresults ● PPLUSLUS RReviewseviews andand eventsevents inin LondonLondon

Sattar Kawoosh, Girl in love, 2017. Acrylic on canvas, 100 X About the London Middle East Institute (LMEI) 80 CM. Courtesy of the artist Th e London Middle East Institute (LMEI) draws upon the resources of London and SOAS to provide teaching, training, research, publication, consultancy, outreach and other services related to the Middle Volume 15 – Number 1 East. It serves as a neutral forum for Middle East studies broadly defi ned and helps to create links between December 2018– individuals and institutions with academic, commercial, diplomatic, media or other specialisations. January 2019 With its own professional staff of Middle East experts, the LMEI is further strengthened by its academic membership – the largest concentration of Middle East expertise in any institution in Europe. Th e LMEI also Editorial Board has access to the SOAS Library, which houses over 150,000 volumes dealing with all aspects of the Middle East. LMEI’s Advisory Council is the driving force behind the Institute’s fundraising programme, for which Dr Orkideh Behrouzan SOAS it takes primary responsibility. It seeks support for the LMEI generally and for specifi c components of its Dr Hadi Enayat programme of activities. AKU LMEI is a Registered Charity in the UK wholly owned by SOAS, University of London (Charity Ms Narguess Farzad SOAS Registration Number: 1103017). Mrs Nevsal Hughes Association of European Journalists Professor George Joff é Mission Statement: Cambridge University Dr Ceyda Karamursel SOAS Th e aim of the LMEI, through education and research, is to promote knowledge of all aspects of the Middle Mrs Margaret Obank East including its complexities, problems, achievements and assets, both among the general public and with Banipal Publishing those who have a special interest in the region. In this task it builds on two essential assets. First, it is based in Ms Janet Rady London, a city which has unrivalled contemporary and historical connections and communications with the Janet Rady Fine Art Middle East including political, social, cultural, commercial and educational aspects. Secondly, the LMEI is Mr Barnaby Rogerson at SOAS, the only tertiary educational institution in the world whose explicit purpose is to provide education Dr Sarah Stewart SOAS and scholarship on the whole Middle East from prehistory until today. Dr Shelagh Weir Independent Researcher Professor Sami Zubaida Birkbeck College LMEI Staff : SSubscriptions:ubscriptions: Editor Megan Wang Director Dr Hassan Hakimian To subscribe to Th e Middle East in London, please visit: Listings Executive Offi cer Louise Hosking www.soas.ac.uk/lmei/affi liation/ or contact the Vincenzo Paci Events and Magazine Coordinator Vincenzo Paci LMEI offi ce. Designer Administrative Assistant Aki Elborzi Shahla Geramipour Letters to the Editor:

Th e Middle East in London is published fi ve times a year by the London Middle Please send your letters to the editor at East Institute at SOAS Disclaimer: the LMEI address provided (see left panel) Publisher and or email [email protected] Editorial Offi ce Opinions and views expressed in the Middle East in London are, unless otherwise stated, personal Th e London Middle East Institute SOAS views of authors and do not refl ect the views of their University of London MBI Al Jaber Building, organisations nor those of the LMEI and the MEL's 21 Russell Square, London WC1B 5EA Editorial Board. Although all advertising in the United Kingdom magazine is carefully vetted prior to publication, the T: +44 (0)20 7898 4330 LMEI does not accept responsibility for the accuracy E: [email protected] www.soas.ac.uk/lmei/ of claims made by advertisers. ISSN 1743-7598 Contents

4 16 EDITORIAL Th e prize-winning Arabic novel Muhsin al-Musawi 5 LMEI Board of Trustees INSIGHT 18 Th e Arabic novel: a general Th e Arabic novel in the Digital Baroness Valerie Amos (Chair) Director, SOAS introduction Age Dr Orkideh Behrouzan, SOAS Paul Starkey Tarek El-Ariss Professor Stephen Hopgood, SOAS Dr Lina Khatib, Chatham House 7 20 Dr Dina Matar, SOAS THE NOVEL IN THE ARAB Arabic novels in translation – Dr Hanan Morsy African Development Bank WORLD waiting for the breakthrough Professor Scott Redford, SOAS Th e novel is the number one Jonathan Wright Mr James Watt, CBRL Arab literary genre Abdullah Ibrahim 22 Photo competition results 8 Prose: the modern chronicle of 24 LMEI Advisory Council the Arabs REVIEWS

Lady Barbara Judge (Chair) Hartmut Fähndrich BOOKS Professor Muhammad A. S. Abdel Haleem My Name is Adam: Children of H E Khalid Al-Duwaisan GVCO Ambassador, Embassy of the State of Kuwait 10 the Ghetto Volume 1 Mrs Haifa Al Kaylani Th e Iraqi novel emerges from Nora Parr Arab International Women’s Forum the womb of disaster Dr Khalid Bin Mohammed Al Khalifa President, University College of Bahrain Hussain Alsagaaf 25 Professor Tony Allan King’s College and SOAS Lords of the Desert: Britain’s Dr Alanoud Alsharekh 12 Struggle with America to Senior Fellow for Regional Politics, IISS Th e environmental ethics of the Dominate the Middle East Mr Farad Azima NetScientifi c Plc Libyan novel James Watt Dr Noel Brehony MENAS Associates Ltd. Charis Olszok Professor Magdy Ishak Hanna 26 British Egyptian Society 14 BOOKS IN BRIEF HE Mr Rami Mortada Ambassador, Embassy of Lebanon Season of migration to the novel: transformations and 28 phenomena EVENTS IN LONDON Yassin Adnan

December 2018 – January 2019 The Middle East in London 3 EEDITORIALDITORIAL

DDearear RReadereader

Margaret Obank, publisher of Banipal magazine he Arabic Novel is receiving more recent times of the International Prize Muhsin al-Musawi writes of the increasing attention as THE genre for Arabic Fiction (from 2008) and the so- ‘unprecedented volume of novel production’ Tin which imagination, memory, called ‘Arab Spring’ (from late 2010). and relates it to a cultural need to talk, and thoughts, and past and present reality can Hartmut Fähndrich, translator of so write, during this time of destruction and join together and reach across countries, Arabic fi ction into German, considers the trauma. He is critical of ‘surplus narration languages and cultures. Th is attention began relationship of the novel to the development and needless digression’ of other narrative 20 years ago with Egyptian critic Gaber of the nation state; and that forms of the devices that build on ‘an already established Asfour and his then highly controversial novel are now infi nitely variable as Arab link’ to capture readers. article, ‘Zaman al-Riwayah’ (Time of the authors react to the tremors that are shaking Tarek El-Ariss writes on the Arabic novel Novel), which sparked heated discussions their societies. in the Digital Age and describes in chilling and launched a debate that has continued Iraqi author and critic Hussain Alsagaaf detail how the digital pulse has led to some until today. In this issue, Iraqi critic investigates the massive change and authors becoming unwitting parts of their Abdullah Ibrahim goes further, maintaining explosion in novel writing in Iraq since the own work. As social media weaves ever- that Arabic ‘narrative, in old times and new, US occupation in 2003 and the overthrow new connections with other media, literary has always had the upper hand’. of Saddam Hussein. Charis Olszok looks at systems and online activism, new literary Our contributors include academics, the ‘frustrated potential’ of Libyan literary models emerge, with drastic implications literary translators, and author-critics fi ction under Gaddafi ’s 42-year rule through for the formation of a future literary canon. writing from the UK, Switzerland, Iraq, the infl uential Libyan novel From Mecca to Jonathan Wright, who translates Arabic Morocco and the US – with diverse points Here by al-Sadiq al-Nayhum. fi ction into English, is confi dent that with of view, making diverse observations. Moroccan author and critic Yassin Adnan the potential globalisation of cultural In Insight, Paul Starkey sets the historical relates how Naguib Mahfouz spoke of ‘a production there will be breakthrough scene of Arabic literary fi ction by tracing move from poetry to the novel’ in 1945 Arabic literature in translation which the main turning points – from Leg Over and describes that move’s multifarious would share the features of quality popular Leg by the Lebanese Faris al-Shidyaq (1855) acceleration today; and while prizes for literature everywhere, with the Arabic through the post-WWII commitment to novels encourage readers, they also impose originals having been scrupulously edited social realism, to disillusion aft er 1967, to a ‘novelistic recipe’. by a new generation of daring editors.

4 The Middle East in London December 2018 – January 2019 IINSIGHTNSIGHT

Paul Starkey provides an overview of some of the earliest Arabic novels, noting how political developments in the Arab world have acted as turning points in the region’s literary history TThehe AArabicrabic nnovel:ovel: a ggeneraleneral iintroductionntroduction

lthough much imaginative prose has taken place about what was the ‘fi rst strands quickly began to appear in the writing can be found in Arabic Arabic novel’, a strong contender for the Arabic novel, as novel writing started to Aliterature of the medieval and pre- title being a monumental work entitled Leg spread to other areas of the Arab world. A modern periods, it is not until the second Over Leg by the Lebanese Faris al-Shidyaq, signifi cant landmark was the publication half of the 19th century that we can speak published in 1855. Al-Shidyaq’s work had in 1913 of Zaynab, by the Egyptian of an ‘Arabic novel’ in the sense in which no direct successors, however, and despite Muhammad Husayn Haykal, which we usually understand the term. Th e rise of a number of other early attempts at novel combined a contemporary Egyptian setting the form is associated with the movement writing, it is probably only with the series with a romantic plot on Western lines, and of literary and cultural renewal known as of some 23 historical novels produced which marked the beginning of a strong the nahda, initially centred mainly in Egypt by the Lebanese/Egyptian Jirji Zaydan romantic strand. Th e increasing interest and Syria/Lebanon, which combined an between 1891 and 1914 (still widely read in the form is evidenced by the institution attempt to rediscover the classical Arabic today) that the novel can be said to have of a novel-writing competition in the cultural and intellectual heritage with the moved into the mainstream of Arab early 1930s, which was won by Ibrahim importation of Western literary forms into cultural life. al-Mazini with a work entitled Ibrahim the the region for the fi rst time. Much debate Following Zaydan, a number of diff erent Writer: the semi-autobiographical nature of this work is apparent from its title, and It has frequently been remarked that turning this characteristic was shared by many novels of the fi rst half of the 20th century. points in Arabic literary history have gone Th e credit for introducing a truly hand-in-hand with political developments ‘realistic’ trend into the Arab novel

December 2018 – January 2019 The Middle East in London 5 probably belongs to the Egyptian Tawfi q Alongside a continuation of novels in traditional form, new al-Hakim, whose rambling two-part novel entitled Return of the Spirit depicts the life styles and directions are emerging, refl ecting not only the of an Egyptian family during WWI. Novel turbulent state of the region today but also evolving attitudes writing also attracted other prominent intellectuals, including the Egyptian to the Arabic language and traditional literary formats Taha Hussein, whose fi ctionalised autobiography Th e Days, the fi rst part of works, it is Ibrahim’s, with its distinctive to the Arabic language and traditional which was published in 1926, remains ‘minimalist’ style, that is widely regarded literary formats. Signifi cantly, four IPAF among the best-loved publications of as encapsulating the prevailing mood of winners to date have been drawn from this early period. Th is realistic trend was disillusion, and the following years saw the Arabian Peninsula, an area with no continued by Naguib Mahfouz, the only the emergence of a group of writers and tradition of novel writing for most of the Arab winner to date of the Nobel Prize poets – centred on, though not confi ned to, period under discussion. for Literature (1988), whose Trilogy, fi rst Egypt – who are commonly known as the Against this somewhat rosy picture of published in 1956-57, chronicles in loving ‘Generation of the Sixties’ and whose work the state of the contemporary Arabic novel, detail the life of a lower-middle-class refl ects, directly or indirectly, both the we should remember that political and Egyptian family in the period between the shift ing politics of the region and a search religious censorship continues to constrain two World Wars. Mahfouz’s career remains for new means of expression. Th is period is publication in many parts of the region, a unique one among Arab writers, not only also notable for an increase in publications and many writers are unable to publish in terms of its length and productivity (he from parts of the Arab world with little their work in their own countries. Small continued to produce works of interest previous tradition of novel writing in readership numbers also mean that the until well into his seventies) but also Arabic – not least in the countries of North fi nancial rewards for both writers and because his novels oft en seem to refl ect Africa, where French rather than Arabic publishers are limited, and few writers are changes in the prevailing literary mood had been the language of choice of many able to make a living from literary activities in Egypt; towards the end of his life he imaginative writers until the 1950s or alone. Despite their achievements, developed an increasing appetite for 1960s. therefore, Arabic novelists continue to face experimentation, and his work (almost all More recently, the novel in Arabic has major challenges. of which is available in English translation) seen the emergence of a new generation of has exerted a considerable infl uence on talented authors, fuelled, at least in part, by subsequent generations of Arabic writers. the establishment of the International Prize It has frequently been remarked that for Arabic Fiction (IPAF) in 2008, and by turning points in Arabic literary history an associated increase in opportunities have gone hand-in-hand with political for translation into other languages. Its developments, and the appearance of a course has been heavily infl uenced by the new ‘social realist’ trend in the early 1950s so-called ‘Arab spring’ of 2010 onwards, as – following the 1948 war in Palestine and well as by the explosion in the use of social the Egyptian Free Offi cers’ Revolution media as a vehicle for literary activity. As a Paul Starkey is Professor Emeritus at of 1952 – is a case in point. In 1953 the result, alongside a continuation of novels in Durham University, a former Vice- Lebanese author Suhayl Idris thrust into traditional form, new styles and directions President of BRISMES and Chair of the prominence the idea of ‘commitment’ (a are emerging (among which the ‘dystopic’ Banipal Trust for Arab Literature. He has term derived from Jean-Paul Sartre) and novel represents a particular trend), translated many novels by contemporary for a time this trend dominated writing refl ecting not only the turbulent state of Arab authors and won the 2015 Saif throughout much of the Arab world. the region today but also evolving attitudes Ghobash Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary It is perhaps best exemplifi ed by ‘Abd Translation for Youssef Rakha’s Th e Book al-Rahman al-Sharqawi’s novel Egyptian of the Sultan’s Seal (Interlink, 2014). His Earth, fi rst published in 1954 and later translations include Mustafa Khalifa’s turned into a fi lm by Youssef Chahine. Th e Shell (Interlink, 2016), Mahdi Issa Th e feeling of optimism induced by Saqr’s East Winds, West Winds (AUC the Nasserist Revolution, however, was Press, 2010), and Adania Shibli’s We Are short-lived, and the mood of increasing All Equally Far From Love (Interlink, disillusion sweeping through the region 2013). He has also published widely in was brought to a head by the Arab defeat the fi eld of modern Arabic literature, in the 1967 (‘Six Day’) war with Israel. particularly Egyptian literature. He is Th e previous year, 1966, had already author of Sonallah Ibrahim: Rebel with a seen the publication of the Sudanese Pen (Edinburgh University Press, 2016), Tayeb Salih’s Season of Migration to the Modern Arabic Literature (2006), and North – a classic of ‘post-colonial’ writing From the Ivory Tower: A Critical Study that has been described as ‘the most of Tawfi q Hakim (Ithaca Press, 1987) important Arabic novel of the 20th century’ and was co-editor with Julie Meisami of – and of the Egyptian Sonallah Ibrahim’s the Encyclopedia of Arabic Literature seminal novella Th at Smell. Of these two (Routledge, 1998).

6 The Middle East in London December 2018 – January 2019 TTHEHE NOVELNOVEL IINN TTHEHE AARABRAB WWORLDORLD The Iraqi critic, scholar and academic Abdullah Ibrahim speaking in an interview last year by Khaled Bayoumi TThehe nnovelovel iiss tthehe nnumberumber oonene AArabrab lliteraryiterary ggenreenre

oetry has consistently taken a back seat in Arabic literature. Narrative, Pin old times and new, has always had the upper hand. We have an incalculable mass of narratives: maqaamat, fairy tales, folktales, biographies, autobiographies, comic tales, animal tales, narratives of Isra’ and mi’raaj (the journey in two parts that the prophet Mohammad takes in a single night), prophets’ tales, Isra’iliyyat (the Israelites), travel diaries and wonder tales. Th ese tales were circulated in old times by transcribers in Baghdad, Damascus, Cairo, Granada, Córdoba, Fez, Marrakesh, Isfahan, Samarkand, Bukhara and elsewhere. Among the most famous of these were One Th ousand and One Nights (Alf layla wa-layla), Sirat (Life of) al-Ameera Zat al-Himma, Sirat Antar ibn Shaddad, Sirat Abu Zeid al-Hilali, and Sirat al-Zahir Baybars. In modern times, we have the short story and the novel, with the latter having life. Th e novel has risen to the top and Arabic narrative from its earliest time established itself as the predominant in our modern time is the number one until the present day. His nine-volume genre. Th is colossal mass of literature literary genre. Meanwhile, poetry is Encyclopaedia of Arabic Narrative is the reservoir of the nation’s heritage. losing ground because it has failed to (Mawsuat al-sard al-Arabi, Muassasat Poetry is in no way comparable, whether refl ect social evolution. Th is fact needs Muhammad Bin Rashid Al Maktum, 2016) in terms of function, volume or quality, to be highlighted in order to negate the represents the culmination of nearly 30 to the massive heritage of narratives, stereotype of poetry being the dominant years of research which echoed the nation’s emotions and genre in the Arab world. perceptions of itself and other nations. In the past, poets were highly celebrated Translated from the Arabic and at royal courts and they continue to reprinted from Banipal 61 – A Journey enjoy the same status in modern times, in Iraqi Fiction (Spring, 2018) with kind with their high profi le presence in public permission. events and in the media. Narrative, on the other hand, is read in homes or Abdullah Ibrahim was born in 1957 libraries and as such does not enjoy the in Kirkuk, Iraq. Aft er completing a publicity accorded to poetry. With poetry PhD in Arabic narratology, he then stealing the limelight it encouraged a dedicated himself to a project covering misconception that narrative is inferior and less important compared to poetry. Th e novel has risen to the top and in our modern time is But that misconception is being redressed. A serious eff ort is underway the number one literary genre. Meanwhile, poetry is losing to bring all genres of Arab narrative to ground because it has failed to refl ect social evolution.

December 2018 – January 2019 The Middle East in London 7 TTHEHE NOVELNOVEL IINN TTHEHE AARABRAB WWORLDORLD From prose determined to present reality ‘as it is’ to a diversifi cation of genre, style and subject, Hartmut Fähndrich describes the rise and evolution of the novel in the Arab World PProse:rose: tthehe mmodernodern cchroniclehronicle ooff tthehe AArabsrabs

Khalil al-Khoury (1837- 1907)

enturies ago, the Arab ‘Republic topic of Arabic literary criticism in the (1860) by the Syrian-Lebanese Khalil of Letters’ was convinced that same way as it has in the West. al-Khoury, making fun of certain social Cpoetry was the ‘Diwan’ of the Th us, the novel is, at present, the groups who, in their attempts to be more Arabs, meaning the register of their literary genre between Morocco and Iraq, European than the Europeans themselves, deeds, the chronicle of their events. In between Oman and Syria. For a long fail miserably and even make themselves poetry, so the 9th-century littérateur Ibn time, maybe from the beginning of the look ridiculous. Th ere followed a long Qutayba claimed, the Arabs laid down 20th century, it was the framework of the series of prose works built on folktales all the information worth transmitting to ideological battle of Arab nationalism or translations and/or adaptations of posterity. It is a vision of the social role versus nation-state nationalism and anti- Western novels and short stories. Th eir of poetry that takes a long time to die out colonialism. Th e rise of the novel, in the purpose was, in addition to keeping and still enjoys a certain popularity in the Arab world as elsewhere, is intimately up with the Europeans, didactic and Arab World and well beyond. tied to, or at least advanced, by the entertaining. Th is is so even though prose writing has development of nation states in the area An important step in the evolution of long carried the torch, fi rst predominantly during the fi rst half of the 20th century. modern fi ction in the Arab world came as short stories, later – and by now mainly Th ere was, to be sure, prose writing with the formation of nation states, a – as novels, and literary criticism has before that, fi rst attempts to tie up Arabic development closely connected with anti- claimed, ever since the interwar period, fi ction with modern international (i.e. colonialist struggles. In diff erent varieties for prose literature (now mainly the novel) Western) literary developments – in terms and shades and with time diff erences due the role of this Diwan of the Arabs. It is of style and genre as well as in terms of to disparate stages of development, this narration, storytelling, so the argument content. One of the very fi rst examples can be observed in many Arab countries, runs, that is needed to come to grips with is the story Alas, I am not European fi rst and foremost in Egypt (where it has the riddles of our times, not the awe- inspiring verbal juggling of poetry. It is a red thread that is needed, not the free Th e novel is, at present, the literary genre between Morocco and associations of images. Iraq, between Oman and Syria…from the beginning of the 20th In brief, we no longer live in the age of poetry but in the age of the novel. Th e century, it was the framework of the ideological battle of Arab death of the novel has not been a favourite nationalism versus nation-state nationalism and anti-colonialism

8 The Middle East in London December 2018 – January 2019 From the 1960s the style and content of Arabic prose traditions. To speak about THE Arabic novel, implying similarities in substance writing multiplied. Reality was no longer considered and style beyond the Arabic language, to be a fi xed state but became as variegated as would certainly not or no longer seem appropriate. Too diff erent are the works of the narrative forms developed to refl ect on it Arabic literature produced between Iraq and Morocco, between Oman and Syria. been particularly well studied) but also in unsurprisingly, to Arab circumstances Th ere are novels on cities and others on Iraq, Lebanon and – fi rst in French, later ever since, as has William Faulkner’s villages; novels that try to remain on earth in Arabic – in the North African countries polyphony following the translation of his and others that carry away into realms of under French domination. Literature Th e Sound and the Fury by the eminent fantasy and absurdity. Human ‘reality’, in took over the national task – formulated Palestinian novelist Jabra Ibrahim Jabra the Arab world as elsewhere, goes much by umpteen authors, critics and literary in 1961. beyond traditional and unifying ‘realism’. circles – to present ‘realistically’ what were Now style and content multiplied. considered the particularities of a people, Reality was no longer considered to be a a nation and a region. Individuals were fi xed state but became as variegated as the shown embedded in their society or in narrative forms developed to refl ect on confrontation with it, including the fi ght it. Topics ranged from the particular and as individuals or groups for their daily the local to the general and the universal, bread and against the occupying force. from the detailed description of village Literature, thus, became an illustration life to the mythological treatment of and a means of propagating national human existence, touching upon social, identity as formulated at the same time political, cultural, ecological, religious by politicians, cultural activists and and other questions and not infrequently historians. drawing on stylistic and topical elements Th ere was, to be sure, behind the from the rich tradition of centuries of attempts to articulate a national identity Arabic writing. strong social and political criticism in It was this trend that led to the still the works then produced, but the style ongoing debate about the position of almost exclusively followed the model contemporary Arabic prose between of European Realism and Naturalism European import and autochthonous insisting that the literary work was a narrative traditions, the latter consisting true mirror of lived reality and implying of a huge treasure of both scholarly that this reality could be appropriately writings and popular literature. Th ere narrated ‘as it is’. are authors thoroughly imbued with Realism of this kind, of an art that this tradition, and others deliberately mirrors the so-called reality the way it neglecting it, and there are many in is, avoiding anything that is not ‘real’ or between. And they all do what novelists ‘possible’, was eventually complemented all over the world do: to sense, not unlike or, indeed, pushed somewhat aside in a seismograph, tremors in their world and order to make conventional ‘realist’ present them in one of the great variety of writing just one kind of several. Th is forms and styles internationally available happened during and following the time enriched by the local or regional narrative of the big upheavals in the Arab world during the 1950s, the 1960s and the 1970s when shock waves ran through the whole region, upsetting generally shared and propagated certainties – political, social, cultural. Hartmut Fähndrich has translated into Simultaneously with this ‘diversifi cation’ German over 60 Arabic literary novels of Arabic prose writing mainly in the and collections of short stories, whose 1960s, a widening of the acquaintance authors are mainly from Palestine, by Arab authors with international Lebanon, Egypt and Libya. In 2016 he novel and short-story writing could be was awarded Switzerland’s special Grand observed including the debates about the Prix de Littérature for Translation, the nature and function of literature: Jean- fi rst time awarded for translation from Paul Sartre and his idea about littérature Arabic. He studied Comparative Literature engagée became en vogue, as did Ernest and Islamic Studies in Germany and the Hemingway’s short and concise sentences. USA and taught Arabic language and Franz Kafk a’s Kafk aesque atmosphere civilisation at the Swiss Federal Institute of became known and has been applied, not Technology in Zürich, 1978-2014

December 2018 – January 2019 The Middle East in London 9 TTHEHE NOVELNOVEL IINN TTHEHE AARABRAB WWORLDORLD

Hussain Alsagaaf chronicles the preoccupations of the Iraqi novels published post-Saddam Hussein since the US occupation TThehe IIraqiraqi nnovelovel eemergesmerges ffromrom tthehe wwombomb ooff ddisasterisaster

n overwhelming spate of Iraqi occupation forces entered the country of the previous century. Most of these novels emerged as soon as the in 2003 show clearly that the writers new novels concern ‘the agony of Iraq’ Aregime of Saddam Hussein was were fully aware of the scale of what Iraq – the agony of wars, death, prison cells, overthrown. Th ey have given the genre had been through, especially what they fear, the violations of human dignity a new identity, born from the womb of had themselves witnessed. It was as if under Saddam’s rule, and then the disaster. In the short period that followed something had been stifl ing their freedom appalling consequences that followed: the his overthrow, Iraqi intellectuals were and their creative abilities for many years, occupation, terrorism, meaningless death, faced with confronting a number of and when this was magically removed, the frustration, dreams of exile that foundered questions about themselves and their Iraqi novel was released, asserting a new on the rocks of an incompatible reality, role in society, and they have given us a and distinctive identity. and so on. Among the novels are: Hatim literature that refl ects their own personal Over the ten years since 2003, the Ja’far’s Yassin wa Sahbahu (Yassin and experiences and those of the whole number of Iraqi novels published may his Friends), Ahmed Saadawi’s al-Balad nation. equal or even greatly exceed the number al-Jameel (Th e Beautiful Country), Salam Th e Iraqi novels published since US- of Iraqi novels produced in the whole Aboud’s Zahrat al-Raziqi (Th e Jasmine Flower), Betool Khedairi’s Absent, Qussai Noticeable is the absence of any ideological blinkers or al-Shaykh Askar’s Nahr Jassim (Th e River any leaning towards narrow ideas such as Arab nationalism Jasim), Sinan Antoon’s I’jaam: An Iraqi Rhapsody, as well as works by authors or sectarianism. Rather, the authors’ commitment to such as Murtada Gzar, Hamid al-Iqabi, Shakir Anbari, Nazar Abdel Sattar and impartiality is clear in their attempts to archive the daily many others. life of Iraqis at various social and intellectual levels At this point a legitimate question

10 The Middle East in London December 2018 – January 2019 arises: are Iraqi novelists trying to Th e novels are like acts of resistance, not in the form of resisting institute a new literary phase that might be called ‘the “agony of Iraq” phase’? Th e the occupation whose consequences will no doubt aff ect question arises because we can sense the the structure of Iraqi society but acts of resistance meant agony clearly at the core of the structure and narrative nature of most of the novels to stop us from forgetting the scale of the calamity that have come out during that decade. Th e novels, with their fears, pains, hopes – in ways that are multiple, varied, and Iraqi literature that has arisen in this and aspirations, seem to match the real sometimes as diverse as the tumultuous period is diff erent in form, concept and world of Iraqis, the reality that Iraqi events that have swept through Iraqi narrative nature. Th ese Iraqi novels have writers have lived and continue to live, society for more than four decades. addressed the concerns of Iraqis and the with all its harshness and its dreams. Iraqi novels have not gone beyond the injustices and death sentences infl icted Th ese writers stood, waiting in patient period of occupation: at a time when on Iraqis more than questions of driving suspense, for the day when they would foreign occupation forces had not yet the occupier out of Iraq, though many win their freedom, to write about the withdrawn from the country, Iraqi novels of them have also taken an open stand bloodshed, repression and persecution, portrayed scenes of the occupation against the American occupation. about the hopes and dreams that had been and its catastrophic repercussions on Th e notion then of ‘Iraqis fi rst’ seems buried alive until their freedom became a Iraqis, the urban environment and the to dominate the new Iraqi fi ction scene, tangible reality. Th is is what we sensed in social composition of Iraq. It was as if showing Iraqis in multiple roles: Iraqis the fi rst two years aft er 2003. Noticeable the authors of these novels wanted to pursued, Iraqis humiliated, Iraqis terrifi ed, is the absence of any ideological blinkers capture the image and record it on paper Iraqis as corpses that are bought and sold or any leaning towards narrow ideas such as quickly as possible, for fear it might by one broker to another. as Arab nationalism or sectarianism. escape their memory, as if this is what Th e new Iraqi novels have further Rather, the authors’ commitment to troubled writers as they recorded their served to disprove and refute a dangerous impartiality is clear in their attempts to ideas, observations and opinions. So concept intended to sow division and archive the daily life of Iraqis at various the novels are like acts of resistance, not strife in Iraqi cultural circles. Th at social and intellectual levels, in this way in the form of resisting the occupation concept – a supposed dichotomy between transcending the catastrophe by creating whose consequences will no doubt domestic literature and exile literature – accomplished novels worth reading. aff ect the structure of Iraqi society but has been dealt a major blow by many of Th rough impartial ideas and perspectives acts of resistance meant to stop us from these new Iraqi novels, in that they off er they elicit our humanitarian sentiments forgetting the scale of the calamity – readers a purely Iraqi product regardless and, through freedom of thought, help to literary and cultural resistance that has of where they were produced. Th e picture improve mankind and show respect for its stood apart from the forms of resistance that the Iraqi novels convey appears to humanity. By addressing the tragedy of a on the streets of Iraq. have distinctive Iraqi features and this people, or a personal tragedy the novels Given the length of the occupation, we is what makes them purely Iraqi, even denounce every political lie that led to the fi nd it embodied in the narrative fabric if they have been written in other Arab deaths of many ‘martyred’ victims. of the Iraqi novels dealing with its daily countries or in the Western countries Th e new Iraqi novels, in their form, events and circumstances. Does this where some Iraqi novelists now live. content and the nature of their narrative phenomenon direct us to earlier examples structure, have moved the world of the of literary resistance that the world has Th is is an edited extract from Hussain novel away from traditionalism, from the seen – in German, Soviet, Spanish, French Alsagaaf’s Al-Riwaya al-Iraqiya – Surat al- classicism of the Iraqi novel, to portray and other literatures? We will certainly Waja’ al-Iraqi (‘Th e Iraqi Novel – Images the society’s chronic pain or write ‘the fi nd some points of comparison, but the of Iraqi Pain’, Dar al-Rawsam, 2014). A literature of the Iraqi ordeal’ with a very longer version of this appeared in Banipal special aesthetic. Some are written in 61 – A Journey in Iraqi Fiction (Spring agreeably poetic language, though in 2018), translated from the Arabic by a new fi ctional idiom based on a new Jonathan Wright. style of Iraqi narrative fi ction. Th e Iraqi novels published aft er the occupation are like a mirror of the real Iraq, in whose framework readers now look at themselves and at their humanity in order to bring back memories. Some people fi nd in this mirror the image of a whole people looking at its past days, its tragedy, the blood of their compatriots, the recent and Hussain Alsagaaf is an art critic and sometimes the very recent history of Iraq. writer, born in Baghdad, Iraq, in 1962. In one way or another, the novels talk He has lived in Denmark since 1992. His about Iraqi society and especially about fi rst novel was published in 2007, his Iraqis as people – people with all their second won the 2017 Katara Prize in the issues, observations, attitudes and ideas Unpublished Novel category

December 2018 – January 2019 The Middle East in London 11 TTHEHE NOVELNOVEL IINN TTHEHE AARABRAB WWORLDORLD

From predominantly realist to a combination of fable, fantasy and spiritual refl ection, Charis Olszok describes how Libyan novels evoke environmental consciousness TThehe eenvironmentalnvironmental eethicsthics ooff tthehe LLibyanibyan nnovelovel

merging from over three decades of to Here from other early novels and brutal Italian colonisation (1911- introduces a poetics characteristic of later E1942), and following the discovery work, as human relationships collapse of commercially viable crude oil in and affi liations are sought beyond their 1959, the Libyan novel fi rst appeared in realms. A pillar of the Libyan novel’s the 1960s, tackling social themes in a environmental imaginary from the predominantly realist style. While Libyan pre-Gaddafi era, it is rooted in refl ection critics frequently indicate the stylistic on the despoliation of land under the faults of many of these fi rst novels, Italians and keen awareness of the nation’s reiterating the comparative sophistication ecological fragility, becoming entangled, of the short story, all are united in in later novels, in tacit critique of political recognising the merits of al-Sadiq al- oppression as depiction of contemporary Nayhum’s (1937-1994) From Mecca to realities becomes impossible and authors Here (Min Makka ila huna, 1970) as a seek recourse in elusive symbolism and ground-breaking novelistic work. non-human worlds. A literary star from the 1960s, al- While it is a landmark fi ctional Nayhum infl uenced an entire generation work, From Mecca to Here exemplifi es of younger authors and pioneered literary the frustrated potential of the Libyan and social change. From Mecca to Here, novel, marking the dawn of Gaddafi ’s in particular, marks a strikingly new oppressive, forty-two-year rule. Aft er aesthetics, rooted in animation of the briefl y attempting to cooperate with the natural environment. Set in the 1930s, regime, al-Nayhum left permanently in the Italian-occupied town of Susa, its in 1974, with his second novel, the protagonist, Mas‘ud al-Tabbal, is a black allegorical fable, Th e Animals (al- fi sherman struggling against Italian Hayawanat, 1974), representing, as fi sheries and the racism of the local Ibrahim al-Koni describes, a searing Committees and widespread religious leader. Increasingly isolated portrait of the ‘security forces’ in animal imprisonment of artists and intellectuals. from his community, Mas‘ud retreats form (‘Adus al-sura, vol. 2, p. 244). When novels reappeared, almost all were to the coastline, where he seeks solace Aft erwards, al-Nayhum, like many others, published through the government- with turtles, rats and seagulls, as the largely retreated from fi ction, with Th e controlled press, al-Dar al-Jamahiriyya. novel departs from realism into a poetics Animals representing the last novel to be Most writers shied from political critique, embedded in the land, combining fable, published from 1975 to 1980, coinciding retreating to historical fi ction or social, fantasy and spiritual refl ection. Th is with Gaddafi ’s Cultural Revolution, and particularly environmental, critique, departure both distinguishes From Mecca the establishment of the Revolutionary portraying the hinterland’s abandonment to multinational corporations and the replacement of Bedouin austerity with From Mecca to Here marks a strikingly new aesthetics, rooted material excesses in the modern city. in animation of the natural environment…the novel departs In many, these themes also, however, emerged as a subversive counter-narrative, from realism into a poetics embedded in the land, entangling political and environmental combining fable, fantasy and spiritual refl ection critique through the doubled oppression

12 The Middle East in London December 2018 – January 2019 Th rough these works, a poetic universe is imagined, populated beings within a precarious world, in the process forging ethics and affi liations by struggling individuals retreating from society, and imagined, beyond offi cial ideologies and sparking an fi rst and foremost, through their vulnerability environmental consciousness rooted in historical tragedy and the country’s long political and cultural marginalisation. of the land and its inhabitants. Th is is, alongside the migration of young above all, the case for Libya’s two most men in search of work, succumbing Charis Olszok is a Lecturer in Modern prominent authors from the 1980s to to the ‘satiation’ and ‘addiction’ of Arabic Literature and Culture at the the 2000s, Ibrahim al-Koni (b.1948) and urban life. Combining Tuareg myth University of Cambridge, and a Bye-Fellow Ahmad Ibrahim al-Faqih (b. 1942). and Sufi metaphysics, animation of of King’s College. She studied French Set in the neglected village of Qarn ‘the unseen world’ further underpins and Arabic at the University of Oxford al-ghazal, al-Faqih’s fi rst novel, Fields of al-Koni’s writings, departing into before going on to complete her MA in Ash (Huqul al-ramad, 1985), echoes ‘Abd fantasy and symbolism and establishing Arabic Literature and her PhD at SOAS, al-Rahman Munif’s famous Cities of Salt interconnections between human with a scholarship from the Wolfson (Mudun al-milh, 1984), as an American and nonhuman through a deeply Sufi Foundation. In addition to her research, company arrives under the pretence of aesthetics that recalls al-Nayhum’s From she has translated numerous short works of opening a glass factory, while, in reality, Mecca to Here. Gold Dust (al-Tibr, 1989), modern Arabic fi ction into English, as well scouting for a military base. Th rough the with its intimate portrait of human-camel as two novels novel’s protagonist, Jamila, and her forced companionship, exemplifi es this impulse. marriage to a government minister allied Like From Mecca to Here, it represents with the American military, the novel a pillar of Libyan literature, resonating critiques both patriarchy and politics in the pioneering wave of authors that under the Sanussi monarchy. Th rough the emerged in the 2000s, when Gaddafi ’s people’s abandonment of their traditional superfi cial attempts at reform brought a date palms, the novel further dramatises small measure of increased freedoms. the erosion of social bonds through Within this tentative context, Misrata- environmental loss, a theme which based author, ‘Abdallah al-Ghazal (b. further resonates through al-Faqih’s later 1961), has forged a striking novelistic novel, Homeless Rats (Fi’ran bila juhur, aesthetics, expanding, as al-Koni’s writing, 2000), which, like al-Nayhum’s From from detailed attention to multifarious, Mecca to Here, combines realism with vulnerable life forms into contemplation animal fable, and is evocatively sub-titled of nation and ethics, while also – as In Praise of Beasts and Creepy-crawlies, demonstrated by his fi rst novel, Th e and Mockery of Humankind, drawing on Coffi n (al-Tabut, 2003) – being marked motifs from al-Jahiz’s famous 9th-century by greater psychological precariousness Book of the Animals (Kitab al-hayawan). and political directness. Set during It is, above all, in this environmental the Libya-Chad War of the 1980s, Th e context that al-Koni’s widely celebrated Coffi n evokes Gaddafi ’s attempts to works may be understood. Long lay claim to the uranium-rich Tibesti recognised as a ‘diff erent voice’ in Arabic mountains. A war novel without a literature, his roots have rarely been single battle, it depicts the profound sought among his Libyan compatriots boredom of conscripted soldiers, while (Allen, Tradition and Modernity in its culminating scene comes through the Modern Arabic Literature, 1997, p. 151). ominous shooting of a she-camel, through Th is is, in many ways, understandable which the novel’s political, psychological given that his fi ction is predominantly and environmental concerns are set among the Tuareg tribes where he encapsulated. Like the writings of other grew up. Despite this, it was in Libyan prominent authors of the 2000s, including coastal cities in the 1960s that he began Muhammad al-Asfar (b. 1960), Mansur writing, inspired by the thriving literary Bushnaf (b. 1954) and Razzan Na‘im community and, above all, by al-Nayhum, al-Maghrabi (b. 1961), Th e Coffi n is to whose infl uence he testifi es in his 2012 necessarily allusive, while also being autobiography, alongside harrowing marked by a keen sense of vulnerability, stories of persecution under Gaddafi . binding human and land, and echoing From al-Koni’s early novels onwards, al-Nayhum’s foundational From Mecca environmental concern is also central, to Here. Th rough these works, a poetic with his quartet, Th e Lunar Eclipse (al- universe is imagined, populated by Khusuf, 1989) depicting the struggles struggling individuals retreating from of Tuareg chief Ghuma against foreign society, and imagined, fi rst and foremost, occupation and the Sanussi monarchy, through their vulnerability as embodied

December 2018 – January 2019 The Middle East in London 13 TTHEHE NOVELNOVEL IINN TTHEHE AARABRAB WWORLDORLD

Yassin Adnan on the move from poetry to the novel, the ramifi cations of awarding prestigious literary prizes and the novel as a knowledge repository

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aber Asfour’s book, Th e Time of the the International Prize for Arabic Fiction abandoning poetry’s tent and becoming Novel (Zaman al-Riwayah, 1999), (IPAF), the Katara Prize for the Arabic full-blown novelists. Th ere are many Gwas not the fi rst declaration of Novel, the Naguib Mahfouz Medal for examples of this, beginning with the change in Arabic literary genius (a move Literature, and others, were set up to Algerian writer Ahlam Mostaghanemi from poetry to the novel), but it was made specifi cally give awards for novels rather who began as a poet but was swept away in spite of all the criticism he encountered. than other genres. Even prizes open to by the novel’s current. Even the Lebanese In fact, the fi rst person to entertain this a variety of literary genres oft en favour writer Rashid al-Daif, with three early idea was Naguib Mahfouz. It came in a the novel. Perhaps this is why many Arab poetry collections, and the Syrian Khalil response he wrote to Abbas Mahmud poets have joined the season of migration Sweileh, whose novels have followed al-Aqqad in 1945, in which he explains to the novel. one aft er the other, no longer write that while poetry had been the prevalent Poets began surreptitiously to slink poetry. Many Moroccan poets, such as literary genre in early times of myths and away from their own poetic orbits. Some Mohammed Achaari, Hassan Najmi, legends, modern times, being ‘the age of may have started by declaring narrative Fatiha Morshid and Aicha Bassry, and science, industry, and facts, inevitably writing simply a variation, one where the even younger poets of the Facebook needs a new art’. Four decades aft er he poet can polish his tools, before fi nally generation, have had their names listed published his challenging article in the Cairo magazine Al-Risala the ‘new’ artistic form would see Naguib Mahfouz awarded While prizes such as IPAF have contributed to the promotion the Nobel Prize for Literature. of the novel and created a dynamic that has doubled the Today, even the fi ercest of poets cannot object to his statement. Poetry has number of readers and attracted authors, they have also declined in sales, and poetry forums have seen the last of their glory days. Th e most become entangled in designating narrative models that prestigious literary prizes today, such as aim to show precisely what the novel is supposed to be

14 The Middle East in London December 2018 – January 2019 as grant-winners for completing novels Some Arab novelists have become aware of the importance rather than poetry collections. of engaging with matters of intellect and knowledge and have Novels outside the frame sought to raise intellectual issues with philosophical While prizes such as IPAF have contributed to the promotion of the implications the ordinary reader has not considered novel and created a dynamic that has doubled the number of readers and supernatural, these are choices for approached with a scowl and in the media attracted authors not only from the tribe authors. With these options in mind, are regarded with terse indiff erence – are of poets, but also historians, intellectuals, prize-judging panels should be looking treated in a captivating style that places philosophers and even journalists, they for the living essence of literature in the them within reach of the ordinary reader. have also become (unintentionally) variety of experiences found outside In student debating circles at university, entangled in designating narrative models the authority of standard criteria. Th ey my friends used to regard me as a source that aim to show precisely what and should be expanding that essence instead of Islamic history. And yet I had never how the novel is supposed to be. Arab of binding novels to pre-established plots fi nished reading a single book in that newspapers have frequently published and matrices. fi eld. I did, however, devote myself to articles that highlight the golden rules for reading Jurji Zaydan’s historical novels. winning this or that literary prize. Th e novel as a source of knowledge Most of my knowledge of Islamic history If musings, experimentation and self- Th e increasing demand for the novel in in all its eras – from the time of the revelation are among factors that appear the Arab world is something to invest in, Caliphates to the Ottoman tyranny – I to reduce the chances of an Arabic novel to encourage a knowledge-based society gleaned from those novels. winning a prize, then the imposition of in the region. For this reason, I wish As a comprehensive literary genre, pre-established parameters on the text the Norwegian novelist and intellectual the novel is able to bring benefi ts all and the crystallisation of an exemplary Jostein Gaarder was an Arab, since around: creating passion in learners and novelistic recipe may well be excluding Sophie’s World is a novel much needed for livening up dry educational curricula. important Arabic experiments in novel philosophical discussions in our world Th e novel can also benefi t young readers writing. Salim Barakat, for example, in which supernatural and irrational in reinforcing knowledge and sciences, in who is a pioneer in the narrative genre thinking are so prevalent. the pleasant way that literature can, to sate of the fantastic, fi nds himself completely Fortunately, some Arab novelists have their thirst for knowledge. marginalised. He has excelled in the become aware of the importance of creation of troubled characters, the engaging with matters of the intellect Translated from the Arabic by Mbarek supernatural and mysterious, mobilising and knowledge and have sought to use Sryfi . myths and the paranormal, and the novel to raise intellectual issues with employing his knowledge of the occult, philosophical implications the ordinary theology, and astronomy. However, one reader has not considered. Egyptian gets the impression that prize judges, author Ibrahim Eissa’s Mawlana (English who seem preoccupied with reconciling edition Th e Televangelist) is a good the general reader with the art of the example. Th e author’s fame as a journalist, novel, fi nd it hard to take a gamble on in addition to the novel being shortlisted Barakat. For that reason his experiment for the IPAF in 2013, contributed to has remained distant from the podiums of Mawlana’s wide popularity. Many issues such recognition. at the core of Islamic intellectual tradition Th e autobiographical novel, full of life, – which in educational curricula are oft en also suff ers from the same devaluation. Examples from the Arab world are Yassin Adnan was born in 1970 in abundant, but here I will only mention Morocco. He has published nine works, the Tunisian author Hassouna Mosbahi, including four of poetry and three short who writes untroubled by adherence story collections. His novel, Hot Maroc, to any novelistic norms. In Tarshish was nominated for the International Prize Hallucination we follow the author to for Arabic Fiction. He is the editor of Europe and his Bavarian apartment in Marrakech Noir (Akashic Books, 2018) Munich, while in his latest novel, Ashwaq and Yassamin, he writes about the Mbarek Sryfi holds a PhD in Arabic Tunisian revolution with a critical eye. literature from the University of For him the novel is a narrative mixture Pennsylvania and is currently a lecturer of diaries and travel literature that delves in Foreign Languages at the University of into history and moves between fi ne Pennsylvania. His translations include, literary texts. with Roger Allen, Monarch of the Square: To write your life or to hover outside An Anthology of Muhammad Zafzaf’s it, to narrate your personal history or Short Stories (Syracuse University Press, to be lost in your imagination of the 2014)

December 2018 – January 2019 The Middle East in London 15 TTHEHE NOVELNOVEL IINN TTHEHE AARABRAB WWORLDORLD

Muhsin al-Musawi remarks on how novel production in the Arabic-speaking world is moulded by fi nancial incentives, competition prizes, current events and shadow texts

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here has been an unprecedented a good story with the right orientation al-Yemen and his love story, which has no volume of novel production in and direction, but without skilful sense in relation to the major narrative Tthe Arabic-speaking world in narrative style. Either to comply with focus, the loss, devastation and bloody recent decades. In an early article for publishers’ demands for a 50,000-word or massacres that make My Name is Adam, al-Hayat newspaper (23 & 24/07/2014), more narrative or to impress readers with Volume 1 of the trilogy Children of the I tried to provide an explanation beyond fecundity and veracity, the majority of Ghetto, an impressive narrative. what I already discussed in Th e Age of novels suff er from surplus narration and But before touching on the ‘aspects of the Novel (‘Aṣr al-Riwāyah, 1986). Th e needless digression, which are either to the prize-winning novel’, there is some unabated rise of this phenomenon is win over readers searching for adventure cultural need to see why this novelistic prompted by authors’ fi nancial need and and love stories or simply due to a lack narrative is on the rise. Apart from the also the publicity that comes with prize- of narrative skill. Even Alem, an adept reasons above, the third millennium winning. Th is cannot explain, however, writer with a skilful hold on language, opened with a nightmarish destruction the involvement of known authors such added to Th e Doves’ Necklace a long of the symbol of global capital and power, as Elias Khoury, Raja Alem, Abdo Khal narrative segment, moving the novel’s the World Trade Center, followed by in his Th rowing Sparks, Ahmed el- locale to Paris to make her heroine more further destruction, invasions, wars, the Madini, along with those from diff erent mysterious and enchanting. Khoury went devastation of cities, archaeological sites, intellectual backgrounds like Chokri even further in justifying silence as a dark libraries, museums, bridges, and certainly Mabkhout, Rabai al-Madhoun and the hole, correlated with loss of life, history, the murder of thousands of humans. Th e poet Mohammed Achaari. Th ere are some memory and land. He allowed at least 70 emerging human dilemma, the harsh powerful novels, with the majority having pages introducing the case of Waddah multi-layered crisis, and the attending trauma for survivors are dynamic reasons for people to talk. Th ere has been an unprecedented volume of novel production in Talking and its opposite, silence, are the Arabic-speaking world in recent decades….Th e unabated the two confl icting poles in a life/death paradigm. Loquacity can easily turn to rise of this phenomenon is prompted by fi nancial need narrative writing for people with talent. and also the publicity that comes with prize-winning But doesn’t this contradict the premise

16 The Middle East in London December 2018 – January 2019 Novelists have begun to read for each other, and somehow to for each other, and somehow to emulate or imitate winners’ novels. Instead of emulate or imitate winners’ novels. Instead of a systematic a systematic literary growth, which is literary growth, this novelistic upsurge is more powerful unexpected in such a short time span, this novelistic upsurge lacks a generic and daunting in volume and harrowing detail genealogy; but it is more powerful and daunting in volume and harrowing detail. that writing a novel requires solitude, tries his hand in a number of short For a literary historian, this narrative meditation and thinking? Unlike poetry, stories, but for a novel you need to recall production is an important index of a which can be spontaneous at times and Robert De Niro as the Frankenstein in distinctive anxiety and nervousness under certainly requires a poetic talent but less the fi lm based on Shelley’s novel. Th is very challenging circumstances. Despite time, the novel is time-consuming. Th e extensive use of shadow texts, fi lms and its digression, this novelistic production urgency and the compelling desire to events, along with historical accounts as grows as a movement that self-accelerates participate in the prize-winning game led in Youssef Ziedan’s Azazeel, Mohammed and generates narrative skill, competition writers to augment narrative size with Hasan Alwan’s Small Death, and a number and rise of readership. It also suff ers ghost or shadow texts, which function as of others, enables writers to work out prematurely some conventionality that subtexts and provide the main narrative a structure for a novel which might comes with imitation. Nevertheless, with purpose and focus. In his Tobacco otherwise be diffi cult. In other words, Arabic literature and fi ction in particular Keeper, Ali Bader needs Fernando Pessoa’s while harping on emotive links with have never witnessed before such a Th e Keeper of Sheep to build a character readership, this method is a way out in massive production of novels. Publishers with heteronyms and masks. Elias Khoury a competitive production industry that are on the lookout for novels that can get cannot make his point in My Name is turns the novel into a commodity beyond better sales in an otherwise unprofi table Adam without Khirbet Hizah by S. Yizhar. and away from its sanctifi ed presence as a market. Chokri Mabkhout needs Hanna Arendt’s literary artefact. ideological thinking to let a heroine grow Th is will lead us to the distinctive in left ist dissension; and without the 11th- aspects of the prize-winning Arabic century Andalusian Ibn Hazm’s Ring of novel. Apart from a noticeable narrative the Dove, whose high romanticism blends surplus or wordiness and lack of love, sincerity and devotion with physical focalisation, novels build on sensation. pining and exhaustion, Alem might have Even Achaari’s Th e Arch and the Butterfl y found it diffi cult to win young readers, needs neo-liberalism and its counter despite the novel’s focus on sex as passion, forces to put together eff ects in search of sacrifi ce, devotion, but also jealousy, a protagonist. Th e multiple voices come competition, murder, brutality and together through contrivance and hard exploitation. Even Madhoun’s Destinies narrative labour. Hence, war, trauma, needs the Holocaust to make his point sex and current politics make up the about the Palestinians as the Others of most thematic preoccupations in most Zionists, a point to which Khoury gives prize-winning novels. Along with these more substance. While explaining in thematic concerns, Sufi sm, historical Muhsin al-Musawi is Professor of Arabic part the speed in authoring novels, this excavation and powerful titling are among and Comparative Studies, Columbia extensive use of shadow texts and events the visible signs that generate further University. Since 2002 he has been the that are known to readers builds on an interest in an otherwise ordinary literary editor of the Journal of Arabic Literature. already established link with readership, movement. Novelists have begun to read He is also the recipient of the Owais Award but also enables authors to move forward in literary criticism. His publications in building a narrative which can be cover theory, postcolonial discourse, the structurally diffi cult under the present Arabic novel, and poetry, Orientalism, daunting circumstances of destruction the Arabian Nights, medieval Islamic and devastation. knowledge, and modern Arabic poetics. Ahmed Saadawi needs Mary Shelley’s Author of numerous books in Arabic, Frankenstein, not only in his misspelled and also six novels, his books in English title (Frankshtayn fi Baghdad), but include: Scheherazade in England; Anglo- primarily in designing a nameless Orient; Th e Postcolonial Arabic Novel; character out of the fragments of bodies, Islam on the Street; Th e Medieval Islamic disremembered and scattered aft er so Republic of Letters; Arabic Poetry: many explosions as to make it impossible Trajectories of Modernity and Tradition; to defi ne identities. Th e enormity of this Th e Islamic Context of the Th ousand and deliberate obliteration of Iraqi character, One Nights; Reading Iraq: Culture and society and culture is so shocking as to Power in Confl ict. He is the editor of and challenge an ordinary narrative skill. contributor to Arabic Literary Th resholds Poetry cannot do it; neither can an (Brill) and Arabic Literature for the ordinary narrative talent. Hassan Blasim Classroom

December 2018 – January 2019 The Middle East in London 17 TTHEHE NOVELNOVEL IINN TTHEHE AARABRAB WWORLDORLD

Tarek El-Ariss on how the internet and social media are redefi ning our understanding of ‘public’ and ‘readership’, heralding the emergence of new literary models and ascribing methods of contestation and interpretation

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he Arab literary scene has been on the intertwinement of and the International Prize for Arabic Fiction, witnessing a preponderance of mimetic relation between fi ction and operates as scandal fi ction, exposing the Tprizes dedicated primarily to the digital culture, the Arab tradition and violence that both constitutes and breaks Arabic novel. Is it at all surprising that cyberculture, online exchanges and street down the Arab subject in an unnamed at a time of online reading practices protests, and the local and the global. kingdom. Th e main character is a and the erosion of readers’ attention What literary value and political function recanting torturer who was in the service spans, the novel seems to be thriving? does the Arabic novel have at a time of of a sadistic master, spewing horror Th is new novel, however, is not the online downloads, Youtubers controlling stories about his childhood, daily life and novel of historical consciousness like Goodreads ratings, and gruesome the nature of his work. Like jailers who the novel of Tawfi q al-Hakim but rather political violence and collapse between leak videos of their beating and torturing one that marks the emergence of digital fi ction and reality as a constituent of of detainees online, the torturer narrates consciousness and that enters into a global cyber culture and public discourse? how he becomes engulfed by his own literary fi eld, incorporating the material Abdo Khal’s novel Th rowing Sparks acts and recordings. Th e novel imagines reality of its subject matter and inhabiting (Tarmi bi-sharar, 2009), winner of the a literary narrator for torture videos, both literary and digital spaces in the Arab World and in the diaspora. My book, Leaks, Hacks, and Scandals: Th is new novel is not the novel of historical consciousness but Arab Culture in the Digital Age (Princeton rather one that marks the emergence of digital consciousness University Press, 2018), examines the radical transformations aff ecting and that enters into a global literary fi eld, incorporating the way stories are told, dissent is expressed and canons are produced the material reality of its subject matter and in the new millennium by focussing inhabiting both literary and digital spaces

18 The Middle East in London December 2018 – January 2019 producing a memory and a consciousness A new digital consciousness is emerging from coded, fragmented, for a new Arab subject. And while the novel replicates the logic of online leaks viral and hard-to-read texts…Th e texts and their reading and revelations, its literary function is practices online have drastic implications on models of writing further recoded when the author’s Twitter account was hacked, engulfi ng the author and contestation, and literary meaning and canon formation into a fi ction of hacking and leaking that his work portrays. Th is means that the author has permanently entered his text New texts and political practices made Th e novel today is tied to a fi ction of and could be knocked out or erased from up of leaking and what I call fi ction of scandal and exposure, and a narrative public discourse at any time. scandal as well as untraceable tweets of harassment or imprisonment, and While Abdo Khal’s narrator leaks and data, online fi ghts and harassment woven through a process of memory (as gruesome torture and abuse videos, campaigns, fl ickering texts that appear in memory stick and computer memory) Ahmed Naji’s narrator in Using Life and disappear, cannot be studied under a and circulated as a fi le to be clicked on (Istikhdam al-Hayat, 2014) is involved microscope, in a laboratory, identifying and downloaded, shared and stored. with hacker groups seeking to produce their origin, structure and essence, and something akin to WikiLeaks. Set in thereby reproducing the old-fashion a dystopian Cairo following the 2011 encyclopaedic study and nomenclature uprising, Using Life depicts a landscape of imposed on literature, culture and street closures and repression and traces politics. the emergence of secret organisations and Th e novel no longer tells the story a new generation engaging in graffi ti art of the modern Arab subject, building and subversion tactics including hacker itself and the nation, moving from collectives. Th e launching of this graphic tradition to modernity and advancing or illustrated novel by Egyptian blogger, towards a future through struggle and author and journalist Ahmed Naji took sacrifi ce. A new consciousness – a digital the shape of a vernissage – a literary consciousness – is emerging from coded, and artistic event showcasing books fragmented, viral and hard-to-read texts. but also T-shirts and mugs featuring Novels that become cropped, marked the illustrations of Ayman Al Zorkany. and circulated online are oft en used as And less than two years following its incriminating evidence against their publication, a selection from the novel authors, warranting hacking, jail and published in the literary journal Akhbar death. Online ‘followers’ who leak, hack al-Adab triggered a lawsuit by a reader, and raid transform our understanding who accused the author of violating of ‘public’ and ‘readership’ and of the public morality. When reading Naji’s eff ects of reading practices associated sexually explicit passages, this reader with the traditional novel. Th e viral experienced a ‘drop in blood pressure’ and and fragmented texts and their reading fainting. Th e lawsuit landed the author practices online have drastic implications in jail; it also earned him the Pen Award on models of writing and contestation, and international solidarity that started and literary meaning and canon on social-media platforms before moving formation, both in the Arab World and to the op-ed pages of international beyond. newspapers such as the Guardian and the New York Times. Literary critics who engage Naji’s work thus have to contend Tarek El-Ariss is Associate Professor with new writing genres, art practices, and Chair of Middle Eastern Studies at aff ective collapse, lawsuits, imprisonment, Dartmouth College, New Hampshire. His online activism and global literary research interests include contemporary systems. Arabic culture, literature, and art; Th e examples of Khal and Naji, among new media and cyber culture; digital many others, reveal a new literary model humanities; Nahda literature; and literary emerging in the Arab world today, one theory. He is author of Trials of Arab that could no longer be evaluated given Modernity: Literary Aff ects and the New traditional forms of literary criticism Political and Leaks, Hacks, and Scandals: and political and ideological trends. Arab Culture in the Digital Age, and New ways of writing and being public editor of the MLA anthology, Th e Arab are unprecedented and are thus unable Renaissance: A Bilingual Anthology of to fi t into a literary model of nahda the Nahda. He is the editor of a series on bildung, or into a subversive model of literature in translation entitled Emerging jil al-sittinat (the 1960s generation). Voices from the Middle East

December 2018 – January 2019 The Middle East in London 19 TTHEHE NOVELNOVEL IINN TTHEHE AARABRAB WWORLDORLD

Jonathan Wright ponders the driving factors of contemporary interest in the Arabic novel and how a ‘breakthrough’ publication might come about AArabicrabic nnovelsovels iinn ttranslationranslation – wwaitingaiting fforor tthehe bbreakthroughreakthrough

aguib Mahfouz, winning the Th e 9/11 attacks on the United States Th e invasion of Iraq in 2003, the Nobel Prize for Literature in in 2001 stimulated interest in the overthrow of authoritarian rulers in N1988, was a little premature in Arab world again and made English- Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Yemen in 2011, his assessment of the impact. ‘I believe language publishers more receptive to its and the long regional and international that international doors have opened, contemporary literature, especially if they war over Syria have also helped to keep and that from now on, literate people could sell it, off ering salacious insight into interest in Arabic literature in translation will consider Arab literature also. We the lives and thought processes of people alive. Gruesome short stories by Iraqi deserve that recognition,’ he said at the widely seen by the English-speaking writer Hassan Blasim – a maverick among time. Th e prize gave Arabic literature in public as mysterious and inscrutable. Alaa Arabic-language writers for his contempt English translation a minor boost and al-Aswany’s Th e Yacoubian Building did of established literary norms – won the Mahfouz’s own major works were mostly well in this period, with its strong plot Independent Foreign Fiction Prize in retranslated in the following years. and accessible characters. 2014, and in recent years Hoda Barakat of Lebanon, Ibrahim al-Koni of Libya and Ahmed Saadawi of Iraq have been serious With 450 million speakers, a long literary tradition and contenders for the prestigious Man a modern history of turbulence, rapid change and Booker International Prize. As a translator of modern Arabic sometimes shocking repression and violence, the fi ction for the past decade and a relatively Arab world certainly has plenty to write about close observer of the Arabic literary

20 The Middle East in London December 2018 – January 2019 Th e books that make the breakthrough must be scrupulously ensure the strangeness of the setting does not hold the reader at bay. Arab writers edited before publication in Arabic. Editing remains the have already done this. Naguib Mahfouz weakest link in the Arabic-language literary chain takes us on walks down the backstreets of old Cairo, Ibrahim al-Koni deciphers the Libyan desert like a Bedouin and Ahmed scene, I have oft en looked forward to writers oft en make public appearances Saadawi shows us the physical fabric of the publication of a new work in English at the British Library, at SOAS and other Baghdad’s Bataween district. translation with high hopes that the universities, and at the larger bookshops – Th e characters will be fully rounded book would make an impact beyond the something that very rarely happened two human beings that we all recognise in the margins. I hoped that some would reach decades ago. people around us – fl awed, mercurial, the same mass audience that Russian I have no doubt that, given the potential three-dimensional, empathetic, not literature found in the early 20th century globalisation of cultural production, cartoonish stereotypes. Again, writers or that Latin American fi ction won from sooner or later Arabic literature in in Arabic have already created such the 1960s onwards through writers such translation will break through into the characters. In my own limited experience as Jorge Luis Borges, Gabriel García mainstream. Some members of the Ghassan Kanafani’s Umm Saad stands Márquez, Carlos Fuentes, Mario Vargas massive Arab diaspora in Europe and out as a wholly plausible Palestinian Llosa and, more recently, Roberto Bolaño. the Americas (12 million in Brazil alone, refugee, the unnamed imam/narrator in First, let me say that I don’t claim 6 million in France, 3.5 million in the Rasha al-Ameer’s Judgment Day shares to be an expert on the vast range of United States) will help to bring that his confl icted inner life with us without Arabic-language literature, which spans about, by reading the translated work, inhibitions, and the ageing left ist who some 1,200 years of history, a swathe of recommending it to their non-Arab goes home from exile in Amjad Nasser’s territory that stretches from Morocco friends and participating actively in the Land of No Rain encapsulates decades of to the borders of India (many Persians dissemination process as translators, struggle and the ultimate failure of the wrote in Arabic a thousand years ago), publishers, sponsors, critics, journalists Arab nationalist project. and all social registers from the belles and broadcasters. Th e books that make the breakthrough lettres tradition of the Abbasid court to So what would such a breakthrough must be scrupulously edited before texts written in diverse demotic forms Arabic literature look like? It’s hard to publication in Arabic. Editing remains of Arabic despised by the elites. By the guess but I’m inclined to think it would the weakest link in the Arabic-language nature of their work, translators oft en share the features of quality popular literary chain. A new generation of editors spend three months or more immersed literature everywhere – accessible, must dare to cut and even restructure in a single text, with only limited colourful, enthralling, meticulous in its to make the work more satisfying as a opportunities to see what’s happening in attention to detail and in its observation literary creation. the wider world. of human behaviour and thought We literary translators also have a part Nor would I presume to advise Arabic- processes. to play here. My work on Arabic novels language writers how they should write Th e books I look forward to will have over the last ten years has taught me that their novels, even if they do harbour a strong sense of place, like James Joyce the fi nal touches, sometimes tiny ones, ambitions of making an impact beyond in Dublin, Jane Austen in rural England, can make all the diff erence between an their own language communities. Th ey Elena Ferrante in Naples, Kafk a in acceptable translation and one that does need to follow their instincts and try out Bohemia, Dostoyevsky in St Petersburg full justice to the original and wins over their ideas on their immediate, Arabic- and Gabriel García Márquez in rural readers. speaking audiences. Colombia. But the author(s) will take the One day all these elements will fi nally With 450 million speakers, a long reader into the places they choose and come together. literary tradition and a modern history of turbulence, rapid change and sometimes shocking repression and violence, the Arab world certainly has plenty to write about. Most Arab capitals have annual book fairs, which drew tens of thousands of visitors seeking books that, for bureaucratic and fi nancial reasons, are not always available in their local bookshops Jonathan Wright is an award-winning or on the Internet (in many poorer translator of contemporary Arabic Arab countries few people have debit literature. His translations include cards, let alone credit cards). Arabs are Frankenstein in Baghdad by Ahmed reading fi ction – Saadawi’s Frankenstein Saadawi, Th e Bamboo Stalk by Saud in Baghdad has more than 1,300 reviews Allsanousi, Land of No Rain by Amjad on Goodreads, mostly in Arabic, along Nasser, Th e Iraqi Christ by Hassan Blasim with almost 7,000 ratings. Presumably the and Azazeel by Youssef Ziedan. He was readers who bothered to write reviews previously a news agency correspondent in are less than the tip of an iceberg. Arab many Arab countries

December 2018 – January 2019 The Middle East in London 21 PPHOTOHOTO COMPETITIONCOMPETITION MiddleMiddle EEastast iinn LLondonondon pphotohoto competitioncompetition rresultsesults ((2018)2018)

or the sixth year in a row we glimpses into the current aff airs, history, in the competition and chose to share have hosted our annual photo culture and humanity of the region. their individual lenses with us. If you’re Fcompetition, inviting our readers to Th is year it was Jan Darmovzal’s interested in taking part in our next submit their photographs of the Middle image of the Qadisha Valley in Lebanon competition, visit our website during the East. And every year the breadth and that won fi rst place. Th ree additional summer months for the details. quality of the images submitted provide photographs won commendations. stunning – and sometimes intimate – We are grateful to all who took part

Jan Darmovzal has a deep interest in Middle Eastern countries, especially Lebanon, Palestine and Iran, as he wishes to uncover their true beauty and share it widely. Qadisha Valley is located in the north of Lebanon, next to the road that bypasses the mountains separating the Mediterranean coast from the Bekaa Valley. Just above the valley is Bcharre, a village predominantly populated by a Christian Monastic community in otherwise a very religiously diverse country. Apart from religious diversity, Lebanon is also home to signifi cant natural diversity. In this photo, snow-capped mountains dotted with the Lebanese natural symbol, the cedar tree,

© Jan Darmovzal are contrasted with the deep valley and its blooming fl owers scented with the sea Winning photograph ‘Hidden Mysteries of Qadisha Valley’ breeze.

Lucie van der Beek started taking pictures when she was gift ed with a small digital camera at the age of 11. Choosing to study International Development at university gave her the opportunity to travel to places she had never thought to see; so she decided to document her journeys with photography, which allows her to showcase the lesser known parts of the Middle East region. Right aft er taking this picture, the clouds unleashed a torrent of rain that fl ooded the entire village. Kids played in the water while she and her friend tried to get back on the road to avoid being stranded for the night. © Lucie van der Beek

Commendation photograph ‘Traditional Fisher Village in Oman’

22 The Middle East in London December 2018 – January 2019 Th is photo is an example of how Amira Elwakil sometimes takes candid photos of individuals while considering the politics of that process, especially the question: am I exoticising them? Th is is not an easy question to answer and as a result her photography includes fewer photos of individuals. Here, the caretaker of Cairo’s colossal Al-Rifa’i Mosque (not immediately identifi able) guides our eyes to the outside world with its sunlight and washing lines, yet simultaneously blurs the distinction between inside/ outside. Here the subject is hopefully seen as a guide, rather than an object to be examined. © Amira Elwakil ©

Commendation photograph ‘The Reader’

Mumtaz Md Kadir is new to photography. She enjoys capturing scenes depicting life and colours, and she is especially interested in portraying Middle Eastern countries and societies – to provide an alternative narrative to a region that is oft en misconstrued. Th is photo is taken at Aida refugee camp in Bethelehem, West Bank. Th e camp is located adjacent to the separation wall and between two Israeli military posts, making it susceptible to frequent raids. Despite the tough living conditions, these Palestinians live their lives with hope and togetherness. Th e juxtaposition of a harsh physical environment and warm human connection, as evident in this photo, shows how important love and unity is in times of diffi culty. © Mumtaz Md Kadir

Commendation photograph ‘Love With No Fear’

December 2018 – January 2019 The Middle East in London 23 RREVIEWS:EVIEWS: BOOKSBOOKS MMyy NNameame iiss AAdam:dam: CChildrenhildren ooff tthehe GGhettohetto VVolumeolume 1

By Elias Khoury Translation from Awlad el-ghetto: Esmi Adam (Dar al-Adab, 2012)

MacLehose Press, October 2018, £16.99

Reviewed by Nora Parr

t the tragic close of Ghassan occurred to him to bang on the sides of silence represented in the work explains Kanafani’s Men in the Sun, the the coff er, and I, unlike Kanafani, will the many ways silence can persuade, can Alorry driver, who had tried to never ask him that wretched “Why?”’ communicate something essential; like smuggle three Palestinians across the For Adam – and for Khoury’s novel – the the silence of the Men in the Sun. Instead Iraq-Kuwait border in a dry water- real question is ‘not the silence of the of asking why the men didn’t knock, tanker, plaintively asked: ‘Why didn’t Palestinians, but the deafness of the world Khoury’s book teaches its reader to hear you knock on the sides of the tank?’ Th e to their cries’ (p. 31). what is not said. question rang out as the driver stripped ‘Why were you silent,’ is not the right When Adam fails to write the story of the dead men – who had suff ocated in question, the book asserts. Better to ask: Waddah al-Yaman, he turns to telling his the insuff erable heat – of their valuables why is the very idea of sound impossible. own life. Adam’s narrative parallels that and threw their bodies in the local dump. Th e work’s complex metatextual structure, of the city he was raised in. Born in 1948 Th e question also rings out across Elias repetition and eventual recounting of his mother brought him to Lydda, a city Khoury’s latest novel My Name is Adam. the mass graves and barbed wires of the that ‘toppled, fell to pieces and was wiped Th e novel’s narrator-protagonist, the Lydda ghetto, are all an exploration of the out’ (p. 305) that same year. It is a diffi cult titular Adam, is so angered by Kanafani’s social, political and narrative structures story to tell, because it has not been told book (and its fi lm version Th e Dupes, that have hitherto enforced silence around before – not in history books and not which has the men knock, but no one Palestine and its Nakba. in popular memory. Historical forces hears them over the desert wind and the My Name is Adam is about the politics prevented the fi rst, and pain, perhaps, hum of their air conditioners) that he of telling and hearing, seeing and the second. So Adam searches memory, sets out to write a new story of Palestine. blindness, truth and the possibility of documents, silence; fi nding mass graves, Th e fi rst 100 pages of My Name is Adam fi nding it. It is about the impossibility of barbed wire, near starvation, the burning replicate Adam Dannoun’s attempts at linear stories, the problems of history, of bodies. He fi nds the Lydda Ghetto, and writing an allegory for Palestine where he the power of fi ction, and the many many renders it – complete with its silences – ‘won’t devote a single word to Palestine’ registers of silence. Translated as ‘eloquent masterfully. (p. 31). Instead, he tells the story of the silence,’ in Humphrey Davies’ beautiful silence of the Men in the Sun through the English rendering, the silences of the Nora Parr is OWRI/AHRC Postdoctoral life of 6th-century poet Waddah al-Yaman. work are not the same as the phrase Researcher in Creative Multilingualism, Th e poet had also died in silence, trapped coined by Susan Sontag in her 1969 Near and Middle East, School of in the Damascene box of his lover when essays. Th ey are also not the ‘necessary’ Languages, Cultures, and Linguistics, the Caliph – her husband – discovered silences that have come to dominate SOAS. She co-established the Beyond her infi delity. Not wanting to believe she Holocaust literature – which has become Trauma project, which hosted Khoury for had been unfaithful, the Caliph buries the dominant frame of telling stories of a podcast discussion, now online at www. the box – unopened – in a pit dug into violence and trauma. Th e book is about beyondtraumaproject.com the palace fl oor. As Adam puts it ‘In the the ‘eloquence of silence, balagat al-sumt’, end [Waddah al-Yaman] decided to keep Khoury explained at his London launch of silent to save his beloved and died as die the work’s translation. Balaga, or rhetoric, the heroes of unwritten words… It never might explain further. Th e eloquence of

24 The Middle East in London December 2018 – January 2019 RREVIEWS:EVIEWS: BOOKSBOOKS LLordsords ooff tthehe DDesert:esert: BBritain’sritain’s SStruggletruggle wwithith AAmericamerica ttoo DDominateominate tthehe MMiddleiddle EEastast

By James Barr

Simon and Schuster, August 2018, £20.00

Reviewed by James Watt

his is the sequel to James Barr’s A One of the most satisfying features brought together in a unifi ed narrative. Line in the Sand, a ground-breaking of this approach is a chronography that With the benefi t of hindsight, and Taccount of the bitter and half- shows how the timing of certain messages thinking of the contemporary confl icts and concealed rivalry between Britain and between the two allies – of announcements tensions in the Middle East, there is much France in the Mandate period over the or of deployments, be they of regular to refl ect on as a result of reading Lords of post-Ottoman Near East. Th e sweep of forces or covert assets – was infl uenced the Desert. Th e paranoia and conspiracy- the second book, Lords of the Desert, is by tactical decisions including domestic thinking which mar attempts to engage wider, covering the diff erent theatres of pressures from Parliament or Congress. rationally with the region’s policymakers Anglo-American rivalry in the Middle East Th e careful comparison of original sources today have their roots in the actual from the period of the wartime alliance on either side of the Atlantic reveals also conspiracies of the period. In the case of through to the late 1960s. It encompasses the deceptions each leadership practised Britain one ends up refl ecting on the major the crisis in Mandate Palestine leading on the other, and when those deceptions strategic mistakes: the Balfour origins to the foundation of the State of Israel in became apparent to the other party. It of the Palestine Mandate, the frantic 1948, Britain’s doomed attempts to retain casts light on what the leaders and main attempts to ignore Iranian nationalism its hold on Iranian oil production in the players thought of each other and how they over the ownership of oil production, early 1950s, the rise of Gamal Abdul handled duplicity. the antagonisation of Nasser leading to Nasser and Britain’s expulsion from Egypt Th e author succeeds in bringing forward the Suez fi asco and on the inevitability in the same decade, the fate of Hashemite a rich mix of insights with deft ness and of Britain’s loss of power in view of her Iraq, the inconclusive intrigues in Syria pace, not pausing long on analytical economic decline. For the United States and Lebanon, and Britain’s departure from comment. He maintains focus on Britain one follows the fi rst tentative engagement Aden in 1967. and the United States as protagonists, in the region during World War II, the Th e thoroughness of original research, thereby avoiding being sidetracked into Aramco-led commitment to Saudi Arabia, combined with James Barr’s ability to tell recounting the fuller history of the period the fl irtation with Nasser and anti- the story through the quoted comments in the Middle East. Th is leaves one with colonialism, the growing commitment of principal actors, makes for a grippingly the wish to hear more about the French to Israel’s security and the Cold War readable narrative. It foregrounds the role, which is hardly mentioned, or indeed priority of containing the spread of Soviet personal dimension of the decision- the Turkish or Russian roles. Th e material infl uence. Even in a time of Trumpian makers, from Churchill and Eden to for other books, perhaps. Th e original iconoclasm, some of those themes remain Eisenhower and Foster Dulles. Th eir research, some of it on recently declassifi ed powerfully relevant today, and in handling characters and political vulnerabilities are British Cabinet Offi ce and State them it is important to look at their charted against a scheme of wider political Department fi les, also allows the author origins, which Barr deft ly does. events, both domestic and international, to tell the story with confi dence of the emphasising how none of the Middle East- secret measures with which Britain and the James Watt is a former British Diplomat related decisions should be considered United States sought to preserve or extend with experience of the Middle East and a in a vacuum. At the same time the detail their power in the region. Some of this has Trustee of the London Middle East Institute reveals the randomness of factors that been available in other published sources aff ected decisions of historic importance. but much is new, and for the fi rst time is

December 2018 – January 2019 The Middle East in London 25 BBOOKSOOKS ININ BRIEFBRIEF CCelestialelestial BodiesBodies

By Jokha Alharthi

Celestial Bodies is set in the village of al-Awafi in Oman, where we encounter three sisters: Mayya, who marries Abdallah aft er a heartbreak; Asma, who marries from a sense of duty; and Khawla who rejects all off ers while waiting for her beloved, who has emigrated to Canada. Th ese three women and their families witness Oman evolve from a traditional, slave-owning society slowly redefi ning itself aft er the colonial era, to the crossroads of its complex present. Elegantly structured and taut, Celestial Bodies is a coiled spring of a novel, telling of Oman’s coming-of-age through the prism of one family’s losses and loves.

June 2018, Sandstone Press, £8.99 MMurderurder EEgyptiangyptian SStyletyle

By Gerhard Behrens

Dina, an Egyptian lady working as the head of the Islamic art department in a well- known auction house in London falls from the window of her fl at in Chelsea. Th is is not the fi rst time an Egyptian is pushed out of a window in London. None of the previous cases was ever solved, but rumours and conspiracy theories persisted. An odd trio – her ex-husband, Alistair; her long-time admirer and friend, Professor Rietberg; and her last lover, the enigmatic Egyptian Lawyer Ahmed – decide not to let Dina’s death remain unavenged. Together they set out to retrace her steps during her last visit to Cairo, unveil the motive for the crime and have the murderer arrested.

June 2018, Grosvenor House Publishing Limited, £7.99 FFrankensteinrankenstein iinn BBaghdadaghdad

By Ahmed Saadawi Translated by Jonathan Wright

From the rubble-strewn streets of US-occupied Baghdad, the scavenger Hadi collects human body parts and stitches them together to create a corpse. His goal, he claims, is for the government to recognise the parts as people and give them a proper burial. But when the corpse goes missing, a wave of eerie murders sweeps the city, and reports stream in of a horrendous-looking criminal who, though shot, cannot be killed. Hadi soon realises he has created a monster, one that needs human fl esh to survive – fi rst from the guilty, and then from anyone who crosses its path.

February 2018, Oneworld, £12.99

26 The Middle East in London December 2018 – January 2019 BBOOKSOOKS ININ BRIEFBRIEF

TThehe OOccasionalccasional VVirginirgin

By Hanan al-Shaykh Translated by Catherine Cobham

Huda and Yvonne are on holiday in the Italian Riviera, enjoying the sun and the sparkling Mediterranean, reminiscent of their childhoods in Lebanon. Yvonne doesn’t know what she’s doing wrong, either there or back in London where she runs an ad agency – she seems to spend her time waiting for the right man to come along and not leave again just as quickly. Her friend Huda has no problems in this department, only she isn’t really interested in her eff ect on men – till Hisham comes along. But it isn’t love spurring Huda on, it’s her desire to teach him a lesson. Because while you can’t escape your past, you can perhaps avenge it.

June 2018, Bloomsbury Publishing, £15.29

FFarewell,arewell, DDamascusamascus

By Ghada Samman Translated by Nancy Roberts

Farewell, Damascus is set in early 1960’s Damascus. Th e book opens as Zain Khayyal, a university student and aspiring young writer, plots an early-morning escape from her house as her husband slumbers. Her mission: to get an illicit abortion and to announce that she wants out of her stifl ing marriage. Zain draws down the wrath of polite society and the authorities, political and religious alike, as she challenges attitudes and practices that demean rather than dignify. As the plot unfolds, Zain fi nds her way to a neighbouring country which, though it grants her the freedom, respect and appreciation she had lacked in her homeland, becomes a place of anguished exile. Farewell, Damascus is both a paean to a beloved homeland and an ode to human dignity.

October 2017, Darf, £8.99

TThehe AArabrab RRenaissance:enaissance: A BilingualBilingual AAnthologynthology ooff tthehe NNahdaahda Edited by Tarek El-Ariss

Th e Nahda (‘awakening’) designates the project of Arab cultural and political modernity from the early nineteenth to the early twentieth century. Arab models of nationalism and secularism, as well as Islamic revival, spring from Nahda thought and its attendant developments, such as linguistic reform; translation; the emergence of new literary genres, such as the novel; the creation of periodicals, journalism, and a new publishing industry; professional associations and salons; a new education system; and an overall Enlightenment ideal of knowledge. Collected in this anthology are texts by intellectuals, writers, members of the clergy, and political fi gures. Th e authors discuss authority, social norms, conventions and practices both secular and religious, gender roles, class, travel and technology.

2018, Modern Language Association, £11.53

December 2018 – January 2019 The Middle East in London 27 LISTINGS EEventsvents iinn LLondonondon

HE EVENTS and of Iranian intellectuals in the Sunday 2 December Talk) Ladan Akbarnia (BM). organisations listed history of Iranian modernity Organised by: BM. Admission Tbelow are not necessarily and in the process of the Iranian 9:00 am | Special Morning Tour: free. Room 42, BM. T 020 7323 endorsed or supported by The democratic debate? Th is question an Introduction to Ancient Egypt 8000 E [email protected] Middle East in London. The and many others are some of the Organised by: BM. Discover the W www.britishmuseum.org accompanying texts and images key points this one-day conference fascinating history of ancient Egypt are based primarily on information will explore. Conveners: Ramin in this special guided tour, before 5:45 pm | Cold War in the Islamic provided by the organisers and do Jahanbegloo (Jindal Global the galleries open to the public. World: Saudi Arabia, Iran and the not necessarily reflect the views University, India) and Hassan Tickets: £30. www.britishmuseum. Struggle for Supremacy (Lecture) of the compilers or publishers. Hakimian (LMEI). Tickets: £10/£5 org Pre-booking required. BM Dilip Hiro (author). Organised While every possible effort is students (includes lunch and Main entrance. T 020 7323 8181 by: London Middle East Institute, made to ascertain the accuracy of refreshments). Khalili Lecture E [email protected] W SOAS (LMEI). Lecture by Hiro to these listings, readers are advised Th eatre, SOAS. T 020 7898 4330 www.britishmuseum.org mark the publication of his book to seek confirmation of all events E [email protected] W www.soas. Cold War in the Islamic World: using the contact details provided ac.uk/lmei-cis/events/ 9:30 am | London Postgraduate Saudi Arabia, Iran and the Struggle for each event. Conference for the Ancient Near for Supremacy (Hurst, 2018). For Submitting entries and updates: 9:30 am | London Postgraduate East: Ancient Lives, New Stories four decades Saudi Arabia and please send all updates and Conference for the Ancient Near (Two-Day Conference: Saturday 1 Iran have vied for infl uence in the submissions for entries related East: Ancient Lives, New Stories - Sunday 2 December) See above Muslim world. Hiro examines to future events via e-mail to (Two-Day Conference: Saturday 1 event listing for details. the toxic rivalry between the two [email protected] - Sunday 2 December) Organised countries, tracing its roots and by: BM. Under the theme 'ancient Tuesday 4 December asking whether this Islamic Cold BM – British Museum, Great lives, new stories', this year’s War is likely to end any time soon. Russell Street, London WC1B speakers will refl ect on aspects 9:00 am | Th e Politics of the Chair: Hassan Hakimian (LMEI). 3DG of their research related but not Judiciary and the Legal System in Part of the LMEI's Tuesday SOAS –SOAS, University of limited to: private and public life, Contemporary Iran (Workshop) Evening Lecture Programme on London, Th ornhaugh Street, trade and craft s, movement and Organised by: Th e Governance the Contemporary Middle East. Russell Square, London WC1H communication, environment Programme at the Aga Khan Admission free. Khalili Lecture 0XG and subsistence, architecture University Institute for the Study of Th eatre, SOAS. T 020 7898 4330 LSE – London School of and the household, sacred and Muslim Civilisations. A workshop E [email protected] W www.soas. Economics and Political Science, profane. Keynote lectures by which will aim to analyse the ac.uk/lmei/events/ Houghton Street, London WC2 Andrew George (SOAS) and judicial and legal institutions of 2AE Nicholas Postgate (University of the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) Wednesday 5 December Cambridge). Tickets: £25. Pre- in their social and political and registration required W www. historical contexts. Conveners: 6:30 pm | Th e Distance is Always DECEMBER EVENTS eventbrite.co.uk Stevenson Hadi Enayat and Mirjam Künkler. Other: UK Book Launch, Lecture Th eatre, BM. T 020 7323 Admission free. Pre-registration Talk, and Display Organised 8000 E [email protected] W required W www.eventbrite.co.uk by: Th e Arab British Centre Saturday 1 December www.britishmuseum.org Atrium Conference Room, Aga and Dongola Limited Editions. Khan Centre, 10 Handyside Street, Book launch and photographic 9:30 am | Mapping the Role of 1:15 pm | Th e Art of the Islamic London N1C 4DN. T 020 7380 display of Th e Distance is Always Intellectuals in Iranian Modern Tile (Gallery Talk) Diana Driscoll 3839 E [email protected] Other, a photography artists’ and Contemporary History (independent speaker). Organised W www.aku.edu/ismc/ book by British photographer (Conference) Organised by: by: BM. Admission free. Room Chris Coekin and Lebanese Centre for Iranian Studies, SOAS. 42, BM. T 020 7323 8000 E info@ 1:15 pm | An Introduction to the photographer Noel Nasr, with text Forty years aft er the Revolution, britishmuseum.org W www. Albukhary Foundation Gallery in English and Arabic by Lebanese how can we evaluate the role britishmuseum.org of the Islamic world (Gallery author and poet Fadi Tofeili. Th e

28 The Middle East in London December 2018 – January 2019 book, published by Dongola Daniel Khalili Memorial Lecture 9TG. T 020 7887 8888 W www. BM. T 020 7323 8181 E tickets@ Limited Editions and designed in Islamic Art and Culture. tate.org.uk/whats-on britishmuseum.org W www. by Iranian graphic designer Reza Chair: Scott Redford (SOAS). britishmuseum.org Abedini, is an artistic exploration, Admission free. Khalili Lecture Th ursday 6 December highlighting socio-geographical Th eatre, SOAS. T 0771 408 7480 4:00 pm | Armageddon's Earliest transformations in Lebanon over E [email protected] W 9:00 am | Special Morning Tour: Temples: An Early Bronze Age the past forty years. Artist talk with www.soas.ac.uk/art/islac/ an Introduction to Ancient Egypt Monumental Sacred Compound Chris Coekin and Noel Nasr at Organised by: BM. Discover the at Megiddo (Lecture) Matthew 6:00pm on Th ursday 6 December 7:00 pm | Performing a Book fascinating history of ancient J. Adams (Albright Institute, (pre-registration required W Launch: Jumana Emil Abboud Egypt in this special guided Jerusalem). Organised by: www.eventbrite.co.uk). Display in Conversation (Talk) Organised tour, before the galleries open to Palestine Exploration Fund on show until Friday 7 December. by: Tate Modern and supported by the public. Tickets: £30. www. (PRF) in association with the Admission free. Th e Arab British Th e Mosaic Rooms. Jumana Emil britishmuseum.org Pre-booking BM Department of the Middle Centre, 1 Gough Square, London Abboud, a Palestinian artist based required. BM Main entrance, East. Evans Memorial Lecture. EC4A 3DE. T 020 7832 1310 E in Jerusalem, in conversation with Great Russell Street. T 020 7323 Admission free. To register [email protected] W curator Catherine Wood on her 8181 E tickets@britishmuseum. T 020 7323 8181 W www. www.arabbritishcentre.org.uk new artist book In Aching Agony org W www.britishmuseum.org britishmuseum.org BP Lecture And Longing I Wait For You By Th eatre, Clore Education Centre, 7:00 pm | Imagining Th ings: Th e Spring Of Th ieves. Abboud’s 1:30 pm | Curator's Introduction BM. T 020 7935 5379 E execsec@ Damascus and Material Culture artistic practice confronts the to I am Ashurbanipal: king pef.org.uk W www.pef.org.uk under the Mamluks (Lecture) telling and retelling of history of the world, king of Assyria Ellen Kenney (American and the impacts of language and (Lecture) Exhibition curators, 6:30 pm | Muslim Architecture University of Cairo). Organised the fragmentation of memories, Gareth Brereton and Carine and History: Th e Role of by: Islamic Art Circle at SOAS and posing questions about memory, Harmand (BM) give a 60-minute Archaeology (Lecture) Stephane the London Middle East Institute, the body, folklore and rituals. introduction to the exhibition. Pradines (AKU-ISMC). Organised SOAS (LMEI). Sponsored by: Th e Tickets: £5. Terrace Shop, Tate Admission free. Pre-registration by: Aga Khan University Khalili Family. Th e Hadassah and Modern, Bankside, London, SE1 required. BP Lecture Th eatre, Institute for the Study of Muslim

FRAGILE NATION, SHATTERED LAND The Modern History of Syria James Reilly

The Syrian state is less than 100 years old, born from the wreckage of World War I. Today it stands in ruins, shattered by brutal civil war. How did this happen? How did the lands that are today Syria survive incorporation with the Ottoman Empire in the sixteenth century and the trials and vicissitudes of the Sultan’s rule for four centuries, only to collapse into civil war in recent years?

James Reilly explores the fractious and formative periods of Ottoman, Egyptian and French rule in Syria, and the ways that these contributed to the contradictions and failings of the rule of the Assad family, and eventually to ongoing civil war. Charting Syria’s history over the last five centuries in their entirety for the first time, Reilly demonstrates the myriad historical, cultural, social, economic and political factors that bind Syrians together, as well as Hardback those that have torn them apart. October 2018 £25 | 9781784539610 ‘A certain, and immediate, classic. 312 pgs | 226 x 155 mm It is likely to be the best book www.ibtauris.com published on Syria for a long time’ Michael Provence, Professor of History, University of California, San Diego

December 2018 – January 2019 The Middle East in London 29 Civilisations. Th e fourth in a series Everyday Precision Cultures: of ten public events interrogating Sewing Machines, Women, how architecture, planning and and Labor in the Late Ottoman contemporary creativity enhance Empire (Seminar) Ceyda and aff ect both quality of life and Karamürsel (SOAS). Organised sustainability in a range of Muslim by: SOAS Modern Turkish Studies contexts. In this inaugural lecture Programme (London Middle East Pradines will present will present Institute) and sponsored by Nurol an overview of the results of his Bank. Admission free. MBI Al excavations and fi eldwork from Jaber Seminar Room, London the past 20 years. Discussant: Middle East Institute, SOAS, Anna Contadini (SOAS). MBI Al Jaber Building, 21 Russell Admission free. Pre-registration Square, London WC1B 5EA. E required W www.eventbrite.co.uk [email protected] / gm29@soas. Atrium Conference Room, Aga ac.uk W www.soas.ac.uk/lmei/ Khan Centre, 10 Handyside Street, events/ London N1C 4DN. T 020 7380 3839 E [email protected] 6:30 pm | Behind the Headlines: W www.aku.edu/ismc/ What does the Future Hold for the Cultural Heritage of Iraq and 6:30 pm | Th e Turkish Economy: Syria? (Panel Discussion) Lamia Struggling to Find a New Model al-Gailani Werr (archaeologist), for the New Global Era (Lecture) Maya Youseff (musician), Mina Toksöz (Economist Jonathan Tubb (Director of the Intelligence Unit). Organised by: British Museum’s Iraq Scheme) British Institute at Ankara (BIAA). David Gardner (Financial Times). Toksöz will trace critical historical Organised by: BM. In 2015, in junctures between the global and response to the destruction of Turkish economy and the policy heritage sites in Iraq and Syria, response to assess if the current the British Museum developed search for a new model can show the ‘Iraq Scheme’ which could the way forward for emerging off er something positive and markets in these diffi cult times. constructive. With reference to Tickets: £10/BIAA Members the scheme, this panel discussion free. British Academy, 10 Carlton explores the wider issues of House Terrace, London SW1Y cultural preservation in Iraq Living Zoroastrianism © Chouette Films (see Exhibitions p. 35) 5AH. T 020 7969 5204 E biaadev@ and Syria. Chair: Samira Ahmed britac.ac.uk W https://biaa.ac.uk (journalist and broadcaster). Tickets: £10/£8 Members/conc. Rooms. Palestinian musician and Great Russell Street. T 020 7323 7:00 pm | Nawal El Saadawi (Talk) Pre-registration required. BP broadcaster Reem Kelani will 8181 E tickets@britishmuseum. Organised by: Th e Mosaic Rooms. Lecture Th eatre, BM. T 020 7323 share her knowledge and love of org W www.britishmuseum.org Author and feminist campaigner 8181 E tickets@britishmuseum. Arabic song with a new generation, Nawal El Saadawi leads a panel org W www.britishmuseum.org including songs with a festive 2:30 pm | Myths Retold: Th e discussion on feminist movements fl avour. Suitable for children aged Crick Crack Club Presents I in the Arab world and Iran from 8:00 pm | Rachid Gholam – Spirit 5+. Admission free. Th e Mosaic Know Not – An Aft ernoon of Sufi the 1950’s onwards. Joining Nawal of Tarab (Concert) Organised by: Rooms, A.M. Qattan Foundation, Storytelling Organised by: BM. El Saadawi on the panel are Afaf Marsm. Moroccan singer Rachid Tower House, 226 Cromwell Road, Why do dervishes whirl? Why is Jabiri (University of East London), Gholam and his full ensemble London SW5 0SW. T 020 7370 the mule so fond of the camel? Leila Alikarami (lawyer, human will showcase the worldwide 9990 E [email protected] W In a performance laced with rights advocate and academic) premiere of Spirit of Tarab, a https://mosaicrooms.org subversion, rebellion, comedy, and Haifa Zangana (author and spiritual performance exploring poetry, and philosophy, Egyptian activist). Admission free. Th e the expansive history of Sufi music Sunday 9 December performer, Chirine El Ansary, Mosaic Rooms, A.M. Qattan and philosophy. Tickets: £20-£30. takes an unexpected journey Foundation, Tower House, 226 Hall One, Kings Place, 90 York 9:00 am | Special Morning Tour: into the Sufi realm. Tickets £8/£6 Cromwell Road, London SW5 Way, London, N1 9AG. T 020 7520 an Introduction to Ancient Egypt Members/conc. BP Lecture 0SW. T 020 7370 9990 E info@ 1490 E [email protected] W Organised by: BM. Discover the Th eatre, BM. T 020 7323 8181 E mosaicrooms.org W https:// www.kingsplace.co.uk fascinating history of ancient [email protected] W mosaicrooms.org Egypt in this special guided www.britishmuseum.org Saturday 8 December tour, before the galleries open to Friday 7 December the public. Tickets: £30. www. Monday 10 December 2:00 pm | Festive Singalong britishmuseum.org Pre-booking 12:00 pm | Th e Making of Organised by: Th e Mosaic required. BM Main entrance, 5:30 pm | Human Rights in Iran:

30 The Middle East in London December 2018 – January 2019 where are we now? (Lecture) 6:00 pm | Th e First Crusade - Th e Egypt in this special guided Saturday 15 December Javaid Rehman (UN Special Role of the Christian Church tour, before the galleries open to Rapporteur on the Situation (Lecture) Malcolm Billings the public. Tickets: £30. www. 1:15 pm | Ancient Egyptian of Human Rights in Iran). (author & broadcaster). Organised britishmuseum.org Pre-booking Creation Myths (Gallery Talk) Organised by: British Institute of by: Anglo-Israel Archaeological required. BM Main entrance, George Hart (independent International and Comparative Society jointly with the Institute Great Russell Street. T 020 7323 speaker). Organised by: BM. Law. Harry Weinrebe Annual of Archaeology, UCL. Followed 8181 E tickets@britishmuseum. Admission free. Room 4, BM. Lecture. Rehman will be discussing by refreshments. Admission free. org W www.britishmuseum.org T 020 7323 8000 E info@ his fi rst report on the situation Lecture Th eatre G6, Ground Floor, britishmuseum.org W www. of human rights in Iran to the Institute of Archaeology, UCL, 1:30 pm | Dying for Eternity in britishmuseum.org Human Rights Council and the 31–34 Gordon Square, London the Lion Hunts of Ashurbanipal General Assembly. Chair: David WC1H OPY. T 020 8349 5754 E (Lecture) Paul Collins (University 3:45 pm | Audio described tour Harris (Nottingham University). [email protected] W www. of Oxford). Th e naturalism of the and handling session of the BP Tickets: £25/£15 conc./£10 aias.org.uk lions in the famous stone reliefs exhibition I am Ashurbanipal: Students/BIICL Members Free. of Ashurbanipal has long been king of the world, king of Assyria British Institute of International 7:00 pm | Tribal Rugs of Iran admired in Assyrian art although Organised by: BM. A trained audio and Comparative Law, Charles and the Tribes Who Made Th em the apparent cruelty to the animals describer will explore highlights Clore House, 17 Russell Square, (Lecture) Brian MacDonald. has not. Collins discusses the from the exhibition with the London WC1B 5JP. T 020 7862 Organised by: Th e Iran Society. cultural context of these intricately exhibition curator. Tickets: 5151 E eventsregistration@biicl. During the 1970s Brian travelled carved palace reliefs. Admission £14. Pre-registration required org W www.biicl.org extensively throughout Iran as free. Pre-registration required. BP E [email protected] well as in Afghanistan and Turkey. Lecture Th eatre, BM. T 020 7323 BM. T 020 7323 8181 E tickets@ Tuesday 11 December He returned to Iran on several 8181 E tickets@britishmuseum. britishmuseum.org W www. occasions in the 1990s onwards, org W www.britishmuseum.org britishmuseum.org 1:15 pm | King Sennacherib, travelling and collecting rugs and Ashurbanipal’s Grandfather: the dowry bags amongst the Bakhtiari, 6:45 pm | Future of Israel: Is the 11:00 pm | Hishek Bishek 11 ft . True King of the World (Gallery Qashqa’i and Shahsevan tribes. two-state solution still plausible Zenobia Organised by: Marsm. Talk) Benedict Leigh (BM). His book Tribal Rugs – Treasures - and was it ever? Organised by: On the forefront of the Levant’s Organised by: BM. Admission of the Black Tent is now in its how to: Academy in association electronic music scene, Zenobia free. Room 10, BM. T 020 7323 3rd up-dated re-print and is now with Jewish Book Week. Bernard is the Palestinian powerhouse 8000 E [email protected] available. Lecture followed by Avishai (Dartmouth College) in ensemble that blends Arabic pop W www.britishmuseum.org Christmas dinner. Tickets: £35 conversation with Ian Black (LSE). melodies spanning from Palestine (Society Members and guests It has been 25 years since the Oslo to North Africa with electronic 5:45 pm | Hamas Contained: only). St Columba’s Church, Pont Accords, and a Palestinian state beats and synth grooves. Th e Th e Rise and Pacifi cation of Street, London SW1X 0BD. T 020 seems a remote possibility. Is this night will be amplifi ed by the Palestinian Resistance (Lecture) 7235 5122 E [email protected] merely the reversible result of Hishek Bishek djs. Tickets: £14.50 Tareq Baconi (European Council W www.iransociety.org Netanyahu rule, or were the terms W www.ticketweb.uk For venue on Foreign Relations). Organised of Oslo, and all other two-state details see contact details. E info@ by: London Middle East Institute, Wednesday 12 December solutions since 1947, fl awed in marsm.co.uk W http://marsm. SOAS (LMEI) and the Centre their framing. Tickets: £30. Pre- co.uk for Palestine Studies, SOAS. 7:30 pm | From Left to Right registration required. Portland Baconi discusses his new book Israel as a One Party State (Talk) Hall, 4-12 Little Titchfi eld Street, Sunday 16 December Hamas Contained: Th e Rise David Newman OBE and Colin London W1W 7BY. E john. and Pacifi cation of Palestinian Shindler. Organised by: Spiro Ark [email protected] W 11:00 am | Digital workshop: Resistance (Stanford University and Hampstead Suburb Garden www.howtoacademy.com Exploring Egyptian Mummies Press, 2018) in which he maps Synagogue. Gain an insight into Organised by: BM. Find out what Hamas's thirty-year transition the background surrounding the it's like to be a British Museum from fringe military resistance shift from Left to Right and the Friday 14 December scientist and uncover the secrets towards governance and breaks role of religious parties in Israeli of the ancient Egyptians with your new ground in questioning the politics. Tickets: £10. Hampstead :00 pm | Alaa Abu Diab - Live in family. Use digital microscopes conventional understanding Suburb Garden Synagogue, London (Performance) Organised to explore materials used in of Hamas. He shows how the Norrice Lea, London N2 0RE. by: Marsm. Palestinian comedian mummifi cation, discover the movement's ideology ultimately T 020 7794 4655 E education@ Alaa Abu Diab is coming to power of amulets and make your threatens the Palestinian spiroark.org W www.spiroark.org London for an evening of satire own museum discovery. Age: 5+ struggle and, inadvertently, and comedy as part of his Admission free. Samsung Centre, its own legitimacy. Part of the upcoming tour also stopping in BM. T 020 7323 8000 E info@ LMEI's Tuesday Evening Lecture Th ursday 13 December Ramallah, Lund, Amman, Haifa, britishmuseum.org W www. Programme on the Contemporary Nazareth and Jenin. Performance britishmuseum.org Middle East. Admission free. 9:00 am | Special Morning Tour: in Arabic. Tickets: £13.37. W Khalili Lecture Th eatre, SOAS. T an Introduction to Ancient Egypt www.eventbrite.co.uk DLT, SOAS. Wednesday 19 December 020 7898 4330 E [email protected] Organised by: BM. Discover the E [email protected] W http:// W www.soas.ac.uk/lmei/events/ fascinating history of ancient marsm.co.uk 6:30 pm | Lawrence of Arabia:

December 2018 – January 2019 The Middle East in London 31 Romantic, Orientalist, and free. To register T 020 7323 8181 free. Pre-registration required. code calls for gentlemen to wear Western Cultural Artefact W www.britishmuseum.org BP Stevenson Lecture Th eatre, BM. jacket and tie). T 020 7235 5122 (Lecture) Neil Faulkner FSA. Lecture Th eatre, Clore Education BM. T 020 7323 8181 E tickets@ E [email protected] W www. Organised by: Council for British Centre, BM. T 020 7935 5379 E britishmuseum.org W www. iransociety.org / www.therag. Research in the Levant (CBRL). [email protected] W www.pef. britishmuseum.org co.uk Lecture by Faulkner in which he org.uk will attempt to critique both T. E. Monday 14 January 6:15 pm | Introducing the Gods Lawrence the historical actor and Friday 11 January of Old: Sources and Approaches ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ the cultural 6:00 pm | George Grove, Th e to the Mythology of Ancient Iraq construct as products of Western 6:30 pm | Th e Royal Library of Founder Of Palestinian/Israeli (Lecture) Andrew George (SOAS). imperialism. Admission free. Ashurbanipal: the world's fi rst Archaeology (Lecture) David Organised by: Th e London CBRL London, 10 Carlton House library (Lecture) Irving Finkel Jacobson. Organised by: Anglo- Centre for the Ancient Near East. Terrace, London SW1Y 5AH. T (BM). Organised by: BM and the Israel Archaeological Society Part of the Ancient Near East 020 7969 5296 E [email protected] British Library. Ashurbanipal jointly with the Institute of Public Lectures Gods Of Old: W http://cbrl.ac.uk/ assembled a unique and visionary Archaeology, UCL. Followed by Th e Mythology Of Ancient Iraq. library of cuneiform texts at his refreshments. Admission free. Admission free. Alumni Lecture Th ursday 20 December palace, arguably the fi rst library Lecture Th eatre G6, Ground Floor, Th eatre, Paul Webley Wing of all knowledge to be assembled Institute of Archaeology, UCL, (Senate House), SOAS. E ag5@ 9:00 am | Special Morning Tour: in the world. Finkel gives an 31–34 Gordon Square, London soas.ac.uk W http://banealcane. an Introduction to Ancient Egypt overview of how the library WC1H OPY. T 020 8349 5754 E org/lcane/ Organised by: BM. Discover the would have functioned. Tickets: [email protected] W www. fascinating history of ancient £5/£3 Members/conc. BP Lecture aias.org.uk Th ursday 17 January Egypt in this special guided Th eatre, BM. T 020 7323 8181 E tour, before the galleries open to [email protected] W 6:30 pm | Tajikistan: Persian 1:30 pm | An Archaeologist's Wife the public. Tickets: £30. www. www.britishmuseum.org Poetry to Soviet Realism and Her Jewellery: A Window britishmuseum.org Pre-booking (Lecture) Aeron O’Connor (UCL). into 19th Century 'Assyriamania' required. BM Main entrance, Saturday 12 January Organised by: Th e Iran Society. (Lecture) Judy Rudoe (BM). Great Russell Street. T 020 7323 O’Connor’s research focuses on the Organised by: BM. In March 1869, 8181 E tickets@britishmuseum. 3:00 pm | Stories from the intellectual history of modern-day Austen Henry Layard, discoverer org W www.britishmuseum.org Kingdom of Ashurbanipal Tajikistan and on how ideas and of ancient Assyria, married Enid (Performance) Organised artistic and literary movements Guest, 25 years his junior. From by: BM. In this storytelling have been produced, shared and then on, his young wife kept JANUARY EVENTS performance based on texts from transformed during Tajikistan’s meticulous diaries, recording Ashurbanipal’s library now in fast-changing history in and every gift of jewellery received the BM collection, the Zipang out of communism. Admission and every purchase made. Rudoe Th ursday 10 January Mesopotamian storytellers – Fran free for Society Members plus reconstructs Lady Layard's lost Hazelton, June Peters and Badia one guest. Pall Mall Room, Th e collection to reveal the pieces she 1:30 pm | Curator's Introduction Obaid – breathe new life into Army & Navy Club, 36-39 Pall loved most. Admission free. Pre- to I am Ashurbanipal: king of the these long-lost stories. Admission Mall, London SW1Y 5JN (Dress registration required. BP Lecture world, king of Assyria (Lecture) Organised by: BM. Exhibition curators, Gareth Brereton and The Distance is Always Other: UK Book Launch, Talk, and Display (see December Events, Wednesday 5 December, Carine Harmand, British Museum, pp. 28 & 39) give a 60-minute introduction to the exhibition. Includes live subtitles (LS) for Deaf and hard of hearing visitors. Admission free. Pre-registration required. BP Lecture Th eatre, BM. T 020 7323 8181 E tickets@britishmuseum. org W www.britishmuseum.org

4:00 pm | Contexts and Connections: Exploring Petra in 1929 (Lecture) Amara Th ornton (UCL Institute of Archaeology). Organised by: Palestine Exploration Fund (PRF) in association with the BM Department of the Middle East and the Council for British Research in the Levant (CBRL). Admission

32 The Middle East in London December 2018 – January 2019 Century the careers of three artists (Malik Husayn, Muhammad Qasim, and Mu’in Musavvir) will serve as a lens on the production of manuscripts and album paintings and their diff erent publics in later Safavid Iran. See above event listing on Th ursday 17 January for details.

Tuesday 22 January

5:30 pm | Th e History of the Huthi Confl ict (Lecture) Marieke Brandt (Austrian Academy of Sciences). Organised by: Th e British-Yemeni Society in association with the London Middle East Institute. A lecture by Brandt, a researcher at the Institute for Social Anthropology (ISA) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Vienna. Her research focuses on tribalism, tribal genealogy and history, and tribe–state relations in Southwest Arabia. She is the author of Tribes and Politics in Yemen: A History of the Houthi Confl ict (Hurst/OUP Performing a Book Launch: Jumana Emil Abboud in Conversation, The Dig, acrylic, gouache and pastel on paper, 95x73cm, 2015, courtesy of the artist. (see December Events, Wednesday 5 December, p. 29) 2017) in which she explores the Houthi confl ict in Sa’dah Province, Yemen, as seen through the eyes Th eatre, BM. T 020 7323 8181 E SOAS. Sponsored by: Persian the circulation of images, as well of the local tribes. Part of the [email protected] W Heritage Foundation. Part of as Ottoman and Mughal responses LMEI's Tuesday Evening Lecture www.britishmuseum.org the Yarshater Lecture Series in will be discussed. See above event Programme on the Contemporary Persian Art. Th e fi rst of four listing on Th ursday 17 January for Middle East. Admission free. 6:45 pm | Levison Wood: My lectures by Massumeh Farhad on details. Khalili Lecture Th eatre, SOAS. T Journey Across Arabia (Talk) Artists, Paintings and their Publics: 020 7898 4330 E [email protected] Organised by: how to: Academy. Safavid Albums in the Seventeenth Monday 21 January W www.soas.ac.uk/lmei/events/ Following in the footsteps of Century in which she will discuss notable travellers past – T. E. the Safavid capital Isfahan as the 6:15 pm | Th e Mythology of 5:30 pm | A Rus Traveller in Lawrence, Ibn Battutah, Freya social, cultural, and architectural Sumer: the Oldest Known Constantinople (Seminar) Stark, and Gertrude Bell – join setting for the arts of the book Stories (Lecture) Kamran Zand (Alexandra Vukovich (Skilliter award-winning explorer Levison in seventeenth-century Iran. (Heidelberg). Organised by: Th e Centre for Ottoman Studies, Wood for the tale of his expedition Convener: Scott Redford (SOAS). London Centre for the Ancient University of Cambridge). across 5000 miles of the Arabian Admission free. Khalili Lecture Near East. Part of the Ancient Near Organised by: Centre for Hellenic Peninsula. Tickets: £40-£70 Th eatre, SOAS. T 0771 408 7480 East Public Lectures Gods Of Old: Studies, King’s College London. (includes a copy of the book). E [email protected] W Th e Mythology Of Ancient Iraq. Part of the Late Antique and Emmanuel Centre, 9-23 Marsham www.soas.ac.uk/art/islac/ Admission freel. Alumni Lecture Byzantine Studies seminar series. Street, London SW1P 3DW. E Th eatre, Paul Webley Wing Texts such as the ‘Pilgrim’s [email protected] Friday 18 January (Senate House), SOAS. E ag5@ book’ of Anthony of Novgorod W www.howtoacademy.com soas.ac.uk W http://banealcane. who describes Constantinople 7:00 pm | “United in War and org/lcane/ c.1200 do not seem to follow any 7:00 pm | Isfahan: the City as Peace:” A Closer Look at Safavid semblance of geographic order a Setting for Safavid Painting Albums (Lecture) Part of the 7:00 pm | Painting and and zigzag from holy site to holy (Lecture) Massumeh Farhad (Freer Yarshater Lecture Series in Persian Production: A New Model for site. Th is talk will present possible Gallery of Art and the Arthur Art. In the second of four lectures Safavid Isfahan (Lecture) Part reconstructions of the account M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian by Massumeh Farhad on Artists, of the Yarshater Lecture Series in based on extant manuscript Institution, Washington, D.C.). Paintings and their Publics: Safavid Persian Art. In the third of four witnesses. Admission free. K2.29 Organised by: SOAS University Albums in the Seventeenth Century lectures by Massumeh Farhad on Council Room, King’s Building, of London in association with the structure, format, and content Artists, Paintings and their Publics: Strand Campus, King's College the London Middle East Institute, of later Safavid albums (muraqqa’), Safavid Albums in the Seventeenth London, Strand, London, WC2R

December 2018 – January 2019 The Middle East in London 33 2LS. E [email protected] W www.kcl. and function within the larger britishmuseum.org W www. at that time. Admission free. Pre- ac.uk/artshums/ahri/centres/chs/ historical and artistic context of britishmuseum.org registration required. BP Lecture events/events.aspx the period. See above event listing Th eatre, BM. T 020 7323 8181 E on Th ursday 17 January for details. 1:30 pm | Th e Rediscovery of [email protected] W 7:00 pm | Safavid Albums: Assyria (Lecture) Organised by: www.britishmuseum.org Shift ing the Visual Language Th ursday 24 January BM. Exhibition curator Gareth (Lecture) Part of the Yarshater Brereton charts the story of Friday 25 January Lecture Series in Persian Art. 10:30 am | Little Feet: the excavations of Khorsabad, In her fourth lecture Massumeh Ashurbanipal Exhibition Nineveh and Nimrud in the 19th 6:30 pm | Letters from Baghdad Farhad will approach album Explorer (Workshop) Organised century and how the rediscovery of (2016) (Film) Organised by: pages from a stylistic perspective by: BM. Admission free. Room Assyria caused a media sensation, BM. Th e extraordinary and to highlight their meaning 30, BM. T 020 7323 8000 E info@ capturing the public imagination dramatic story of Gertrude Bell. She shaped the modern Middle East aft er World War I in ways that still reverberate today. More infl uential than her friend and The Hadassah and Daniel Khalili colleague Lawrence of Arabia, Bell Memorial Lecture in Islamic Art and Culture helped draw the borders of Iraq and established the Iraq Museum. So why has Gertrude Bell been Imagining Things: written out of history? Tickets £5/£3 Members/conc. Stevenson Damascus and Material Lecture Th eatre, BM. T 020 7323 8181 E tickets@britishmuseum. Culture under the Mamluks org W www.britishmuseum.org

Saturday 26 January

10:30 am | Study Day: An Introduction to Ancient Assyria Organised by: BM. A study day discussing many key elements of ancient Assyria, its culture, its legacy and why it was so important. Th e panel includes BM curators, Irving Finkel, Gareth Brereton, Carine Harmand, Jon Taylor, Julian Reade, Christopher Walker and Henrietta McCall. Tickets £28/£25 Members/conc. BP Lecture Th eatre, BM. T 020 7323 Dr Ellen Kenney 8181 E tickets@britishmuseum. Associate Professor, Department of Islamic Art & Architecture, org W www.britishmuseum. American University of Cairo org

7.00pm, Wednesday 5 December 2018 Th ursday 31 January Khalili Lecture Theatre, Main Building, SOAS University of London, Russell Square 1:30 pm | Th e Fall of Assyria London WC1H 0XG (Lecture) John MacGinnis (BM). Lebanese food and drink will be served after the lecture Organised by: BM. Following Ashurbanipal's death, Assyrian Organised by the Islamic Art Circle at SOAS authority weakened, as his two sons and the London Middle East Institute, competed for power. MacGinnis SOAS University of London explores the documentary and The lecture and the reception following the archaeological evidence for the lecture are sponsored by The Khalili Family collapse and the sack of the royal Image: H.O. Havemeyer Collection, Gift of Horace Enquiries: E-mail [email protected] capitals. Admission free. Pre- Havemeyer, 1941, Metropolitan Museum of or Telephone 020 7898 4490 Art - 41.165.45. registration required. BP Lecture Th eatre, BM. T 020 7323 8181 E [email protected] W www.britishmuseum.org

34 The Middle East in London December 2018 – January 2019 EXHIBITIONS Cromwell Road, London SW5 collaborations, Çatalhöyük is (regimes, stability and authority), 0SW. T 020 7370 9990 E info@ presented through experiment- her purposeful amalgamation mosaicrooms.org W https:// based display features including reveals the breadth of conceptual Until 1 December | Palestinian mosaicrooms.org 3D prints of fi nds, laser-scanned art and its overlapping mediums, History Tapestry Th e Palestinian overviews of excavation areas, allowing her to speak to others History Tapestry illustrates the Until 12 December | Sewn and immersive digital displays across varying environments and history of the Land of Palestine, Planks and Clenched Nails: that bring the 9000-year-old schools of thought. Admission from the Neolithic era to the Shipbuilders of the Indian Ocean Çatalhöyük settlement back to life. free. Th e Alexandria Library, 247 present. It has been made by Exhibition by Alessandro Ghidoni Admission free. Brunei Gallery, Wilmslow Road, Manchester M14 Palestinian women within and highlighting some of his research SOAS. T 020 7898 4023/4026 W 5LW. E [email protected] W outside Palestine, many of them from his project Th e Ship Timbers www.soas.ac.uk/gallery/ www.zellijarts.com in refugee camps across the from the Islamic Site of Al-Balid: Middle East, and is probably the A Case Study of Sewn-Plank Until 6 January | Turner Prize Until 24 February | I am largest embroidered collection of Technology in the Indian Ocean 2018 Exhibition of work by Ashurbanipal: king of the illustrative work ever produced and illustrating the sewn-plank the four artists shortlisted for world, king of Assyria King by Palestinian embroiderers. techniques and technologies that Turner Prize 2018: Forensic Ashurbanipal of Assyria (r. 669–c. Admission free. Investcorp persisted in the western Indian Architecture, Naeem Mohaiemen, 631 BC) was the most powerful Auditorium, Middle East Centre, Ocean for millennia. Admission Charlotte Prodger and Luke man on earth. He described St Antony's College, University free. Th e Street Gallery, Institute Willis Th ompson. Th e winner himself in inscriptions as ‘king of of Oxford, 62 Woodstock Road, of Arab and Islamic Studies, will be announced on Tuesday 4 the world’, and his reign from the Oxford OX2 6JF. T 01865 284700 University of Exeter, Stocker Road, December. Forensic Architecture city of Nineveh (now in northern W www.sant.ox.ac.uk Exeter EX4 4ND. T 01392 723365 presents its investigations, with Iraq) marked the high point of the E [email protected] W https:// members of the photographic Assyrian empire, which stretched Until 5 December | Th e Lovers socialsciences.exeter.ac.uk/iais/ collective Activestills, into the from the shores of the eastern Of Apadana Th is new exhibition exhibitions/current/ events of 18 January 2017, a day Mediterranean to the mountains showcases a brand new collection on which an attempt by police to of western Iran. Th is exhibition by the artist Bita Ghezelavagh. Until 15 December | Living clear an unrecognised Bedouin tells the story of Ashurbanipal Using traditional Iranian textiles Zoroastrianism A unique village in southern Israel resulted through the BM's collection of Ghezelavagh explores the interactive exhibition that engages in the deaths of two people. Assyrian treasures and rare loans universal themes of love, war and the public in the Virtual Reality Tickets: £13/£11 conc./£5 (12–18 and comes face to face with one of everyday confl icts. Th is latest body (VR) experience of a three- years).Under 12s free. Tate Britain, history’s greatest forgotten kings. of work showcases Ghezelayagh’s thousand years old Zoroastrian Millbank, London SW1P 4RG. T Tickets: Various. BM. T 020 7323 masterful and inventive use of her ritual in which the viewer will 020 7887 8888 W visit www.tate. 8181 E tickets@britishmuseum. trademark materials, velvet, silk, be immersed by means of VR org.uk org W www.britishmuseum.org felt and carpet fragments. Artist glasses. Originating in ancient Tickets to enter the Museum: pre-Islamic Iran, the ritual was Until 20 January | Th e Hepworth Until 24 February | Artes Mundi £9/£7 conc. include admission to fi lmed by Chouette Films in Prize for Sculpture Th e Hepworth 8 Th e shortlist for Artes Mundi the exhibition. Leighton House Mumbai 2017 with cutting edge Prize for Sculpture recognises a 8 brings together 5 international Museum, 12 Holland Park Road, spherical video technology. British or UK-based artist of any contemporary artists who directly London W14 8LZ. T 020 7471 Visitors can also experience age, at any stage of their career, engage with everyday life through 9153 E [email protected] contemporary Zoroastrian Iran who has made a signifi cant their practice and who explore W www.rbkc.gov.uk/subsites/ via the digitized oral testimony of contribution to the development contemporary social issues across museums/leightonhousemuseum/ over 300 interviewees. Displays of of contemporary sculpture. Th e the globe. Th is year's shortlist publicevents-1.aspx manuscripts, costumes, paintings shortlisted artists this year are includes Anna Boghiguian and artefacts provide additional Michael Dean, Mona Hatoum, (Canada/Egypt), Bouchra Khalili Until 8 December | Behjat information about this ancient Phillip Lai, Magali Reus and Cerith (Morocco/France), Otobong Sadr: Dusted Waters First UK religion. Admission free. Foyle Wyn Evans. Admission free. Th e Nkanga (Nigeria/Belgium), Trevor exhibition dedicated to Behjat Gallery, Brunei Gallery, SOAS. T Hepworth Wakefi eld, Gallery Paglen (USA) and Apichatpong Sadr (1924-2009), now regarded 020 7898 4023/4026 W www.soas. Walk, Wakefi eld, West Yorkshire Weerasethakul (Th ailand). as one of Iran’s most infl uential ac.uk/gallery/ WF1 5AW. T 01924 247360 E Admission free. National Museum and radical visual artists. Th e hello@hepworthwakefi eld.org W Cardiff , Cathays Park, Cardiff exhibition brings together a Until 15 December | Th e Curious https://hepworthwakefi eld.org CF10 3NP. T 0300 7777 300 W selection of masterpieces by the Case of Çatalhöyük Th e UNESCO www.artesmundi.org artist never seen before in the UK World Heritage site of Çatalhöyük Until 26 January | Mai Al Shazly and reveals Sadr’s dramatic artistic is a Neolithic settlement, located in Mai Al Shazly is an Egyptian visual journey against the backdrop of the Konya plain, in central Turkey. artist working with photography, bitter political events and her Th is exhibition has been developed video, and installation. Mai focuses struggles as a woman fi ghting for to celebrate the 25th excavation on the psychology of human recognition on a male dominated season of the Çatalhöyük Research behaviour and its relationship to art scene. Admission free. Th e Project. Known for its fascinating the surrounding environmental Mosaic Rooms, A.M. Qattan cutting-edge archaeological (city’s size, urban density, Foundation, Tower House, 226 research methods, and laboratory location) and political issues

December 2018 – January 2019 The Middle East in London 35 The Yarshater Lectures in Persian Art

Ar sts, Pain ngs and their Publics Safavid Albums in the Seventeenth Century

Four Lectures by Dr Massumeh Farhad, Chief Curator and The Ebrahimi Family Curator of Persian, Arab and Turkish Art Freer Gallery of Art and the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Smithsonian Ins tu on, Washington, D.C.

7.00 pm, Thursday 17th, Friday 18th, Monday 21st and Tuesday 22nd January 2019 Khalili Lecture Theatre, SOAS University of London

Image: Woman Smoking a Waterpipe Admission Free - All Welcome Signed by Muhammad Qasim-i Tabrizi Iran, Safavid period, 1640s opaque watercolor and gold on paper Telephone: 020 7898 4330 E-mail: [email protected] Nasser D. Khalili Collec on of Islamic Art 36 CopyrightThe Middle Khalili Family East Trust. in London MSS 999. December 2018Website: – January www.soas.ac.uk/lmei/ 2019