Gazan writers denied UK entry
It can, of course, be taken as read that the UK Border Agency are utter bastards, but that doesn’t stop me getting very, very angry at individual cases. Here’s the … Continue reading
New article: Hani Zurob artist biography reviewed
Electronic Intifada, 17th June 2013 Hani was… born and raised in the Rafah refugee camp. His first public art consisted of the graffiti and political posters of the first intifada, … Continue reading
New Article: ‘The Wall’ reviewed
Electronic Intifada, 14th June 2013 The Wall also features the usual personal angst of teen novels. But again, they suggest bigger issues. Despite the aggressively masculine ideologies of the settlement … Continue reading
Crowdfunding for Timbuktu's Manuscripts
Reblogged from Arabic Literature (in English): It’s not as sexy as saving ancient manuscripts from Islamists, but these manuscrips need rescue from humidity and bad storage, according to Dr. Abdel Kader … Continue reading
New article: ‘When I Saw You’ reviewed
Electronic Intifada, 3rd June 2013 Jacir’s portrayal of daily life is full of precise details which make it a joy to watch. Copies of Mao’s Little Red Book sit in … Continue reading
Barbara Kingsolver at the South Bank
American novelist and biologist Barbara Kingsolver has a special place in my life, and especially in the story of my marriage, and that alone makes her dear to me. That … Continue reading
New article: Memoirs of an Early Arab Feminist reviewed
Electronic Intifada, 31st May 2013 With the exception of her observations on women’s changing roles, Anbara’s memories are interesting and important not for what they reveal about home life through … Continue reading
Annie Laurie and Victorian sentimentality
My paternal grandfather, Tom Irving, was born on a small farm outside Maxwelltown in Kirkcudbrightshire in South-West Scotland. Maxwelltown is probably best known for being mentioned in the first line … Continue reading
New article: Nihad Sirees interviewed
The Arab Review, 28th May 2013 Sitting in the foyer of a London hotel, Sirees looks tired and a little dazed, but is cheerfully talkative.“The news every day affects me … Continue reading
‘Grim fairy tales…’
This is grotesque but brilliant – nicked from Dwight Towers. The fairy-tale rhythmic language is note-perfect – ‘little pig, little pig, let me in… I won’t by the hair on … Continue reading
New article: Marilyn Booth interviewed
One of the most exciting things about being based at Edinburgh University’s Dept of Islamic & Middle Eastern Studies for the past two years has been people who make up … Continue reading
Noise vs music
‘You and I have very different tastes in music…‘ observed husband this evening (well spotted, after ten years). It’s a subject I’ve been thinking about a bit lately, though. The … Continue reading
As if Edinburgh didn’t have enough book temptation…
I heard a rumour at the end of last year that a Middle Eastern specialist bookshop was going to open in Edinburgh. After months of intermittent hovering about on Google, … Continue reading
Greycat
I shall probably cringe with shame and delete this post later on, but this evening I’m in a wistful, nostalgic kind of mood. In the middle of having another clear-out … Continue reading
