SAQI

(P/B) Revolt Against the Sun
The Iraqi poet Nazik al-Malaika was one of the most important Arab poets of the twentieth century. A pioneer of free verse poetry, over four decades, she transformed the landscape of modern Arabic literature and culture. Revolt Against the Sun presents a selection of Nazik al Malaika's poetry in English translation for the first time. Bringing together poems from each of her published collections, it traces al-Malaika's transformation from a lyrical Romantic poet in the 1940s to a fervently committed Arab nationalist in the 1970s and 1980s...
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(P/B) After Zionism
After Zionism brings together some of the world's leading thinkers on the Middle East question. In thought-provoking essays, the contributors dissect the century-long conflict between Zionism and the Palestinians, and explore possible forms of a one-state solution in the most conflicted part of the world. Time has run out for the two-state solution because of the unending and permanent Israeli colonisation of Palestinian land. The Hamas attacks of 7 October 2023 and Israel's subsequent devastation of Gaza have given renewed urgency to the ...
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(P/B) VICTIMS OF A MAP
Since pre-Islamic days poetry has been the mass art form of the Arabic language. In modern times poets in the region have had a greater impact on popular culture than novelists, and there can be no doubt that Mahmud Darwish, Samih al-Qasim and Adonis are among the leading poets of the Arab world today. Victims of a Map presents fifteen translated poems by each poet. It includes thirteen poems by Darwish never before published in book form, even in Arabic, and a long work by Adonis written during the 1982 siege of Beirut, also published her...
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(P/B) CLASSICAL POEMS BY ARAB WOMEN
Arab women poets have been around since the earliest of times, yet their diwans (collected poems) were not given the same consideration as their male counterparts'. Spanning 7,000 years, from the pre-Islamic to the Andalusian periods, Classical Poems by Arab Women presents rarely seen work by over fifty women writers for the first time. From the sorrowful eulogies of Khansa to the gleeful scorn of Wallada bint al-Mustakfi, this collection exclusively features the work of Arab women who boldly refused to be silenced. The poems are excursion...
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(P/B) ISLAMIC STATE
Based on interviews with Islamic State insiders, Abdel Bari Atwan reveals the origins and modus operandi of the fastest-growing and richest terrorist group in the world. Outlining its leadership structure and strategies, Atwan describes the group's ideological differences with al-Qa'ida and why IS appear to pose a greater threat to the West. He shows how it has masterfully used social media, Hollywood 'blockbuster'-style videos, and even jihadi computer games to spread its message and to recruit young people, from Tunisia to Bradford. As I...
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(P/B) THE CRUSADES THROUGH ARAB EYES
European and Arab versions of the Crusades have little in common. For Arabs, the twelfth and thirteenth centuries were years of strenuous efforts to repel a brutal and destructive invasion by barbarian hordes. Under Saladin, an unstoppable Muslim army inspired by prophets and poets finally succeeded in destroying the most powerful Crusader kingdoms. The memory of this greatest and most enduring victory ever won by a non-European society against the West still lives in the minds of millions of Arabs today. Amin Maalouf has sifted through th...
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(P/B) DESERT SONGS OF THE NIGHT
A unique and extraordinary collection, Desert Songs of the Night presents some of the finest poetry and prose by Arab writers, from the Arab East to Andalusia, over the last 1,500 years. From the mystical imagery of the Qur'an and the colourful stories of The Thousand and One Nights, to the powerful verses of longing of Mahmoud Darwish and Nazik al-Mala'ika, this captivating collection includes translated excerpts of works by the major authors of the period, as well as by lesser known writers of equal significance. Desert Songs of the Nigh...
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(P/B) NATIVE
Sayed Kashua has been lauded by the New York Times as "a master of subtle nuance in dealing with both Arab and Jewish society." A Palestinian-Israeli who lived in Jerusalem for most of his life, Kashua started writing with the hope of creating one story that both sides could relate to. He devoted his novels and his satirical column in Haaretz to exploring the contradictions of modern Israel while also capturing the nuances of everyday family life in all its tenderness and chaos. Over the last decade, his humorous essays have been among the...
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(P/B) SUFISM AND SURREALISM
At first glance Sufism and Surrealism appear to be as far removed from one another as is possible. Adonis, however, draws convincing parallels between the two, contesting that God, in the traditional sense does not exist in Surrealism or in Sufism, and that both are engaged in parallel quests for the nature of the Absolute, through 'holy madness' and the deregulation of the senses. This is a remarkable investigation into the common threads of thought that run through seemingly polarised philosophies from East and West, written by a man Edw...
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(P/B) IMAMS AND EMIRS
"Imams and Emirs" is a comparative study of Islamic sects in the contemporary Arab world, in particular those that share the same distinguishing features, including geographical isolation, territorial exclusiveness, intensity of rituals and duality of religious organisation. Khuri argues that conflicts among Muslims arise from the struggle between two opposing forces: religious, doctrinaire authorities (imams) and leaders who derive their authority from power and coercion (emirs). He discusses the role of dogma but also, uniquely, the crit...
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(P/B) SYRIA
Syria's descent into civil war has already claimed an estimated 200,000 lives while more than nine million people have fled their homes. This is now the greatest humanitarian and political crisis of the twenty-first century. In this timely account, John McHugo charts the history of Syria from the First World War to the present and considers why Syria's foundations as a nation have proved so fragile. He examines the country's thwarted attempts at independence under French rule before turning to more recent events: sectarian tensions, the pr...
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(P/B) THE SULTAN'S SERAGLIO
From 1604 to 1607 Ottavio Bon was the Venetian representative in Istanbul, where he recorded every aspect of life at the Topkapi palace. His "The Sultan's Seraglio" provides a fascinating and lively account of the period of Ahmet I, covering topics as diverse as life in the harem; the exchange of gifts between Turkish and Western dignitaries; the menu at official state banquets; the buying of slaves in the weekly slave market; and the great religious festivals and circumcision ceremonies. The various Ottoman officials are all introduced to...
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(P/B) PALESTINE IN BLACK AND WHITE
Palestine in Black and White is an intimate and powerful portrayal of life under occupation from one of the most talented cartoonists working today. Mohammad Sabaaneh has gained worldwide renown for his black and white sketches. His stark geometric figures and landscapes are rich with Palestinian visual traditions and symbols, while his haunting figures depict a vivid perspective of the occupation. This first collection brings together one hundred of Sabaaneh's most striking works, including cartoons that portray the experience of Palestin...
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(P/B) SIMPLE ARABIC
Haddad and Ingle's book aims to make learning Arabic as easy and simple as possible. Assuming no previous knowledge of the language, it is suitable for beginners but also for those who already have a grounding in the basics. It is a self-teaching tool on how to speak, read and write modern standard Arabic. The book consists of 29 units which have been condensed to the essentials of each topic, and all the linguistic structures required for GCSE Arabic and beyond. The words used have been selected on the basis of frequency of usage in conte...
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(P/B) SERPENT OF THE NILE
This newly updated and beautifully illustrated classic is a celebration of the female dancers of the Arab world, and their impact on the West. Serpent of the Nile traces the origins of Arabic dance, which survived despite religious disapproval and growing commercialism to evolve into a popular dance form across the globe. Focusing on the nineteenth century onwards, Wendy Buonaventura reveals how this ancient art was influenced by Western ideas about art and entertainment, and in turn exerted a powerful hold on the Western imagination. In t...
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(H/B) ICONS: DIVINE BEAUTY (0863565662)
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(H/B) AFGHANISTAN - A DARKNESS VISIBLE
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(H/B) THE HISTORY OF BOSNIA - FROM THE MIDDLE AGES TO THE PRESEN
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(P/B) BEYOND THE VEIL
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(H/B) IMAM IN PARIS: AL-TAHTAWI'S VISIT TO FRANCE (1826-31)