🍉 Stories from the SWANA region & Arab diaspora 🗣️ Freedom | Identity | Resistance | Expression 📚 Fiction | Nonfiction | Poetry | Podcasts 🔗 New issue ⬇️ https://linktr.ee/themarkazreviewhttps://bsky.app/profile/markaz-review.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/markaz-review.bsky.social/post/3mvxhm5sv6r2yHaunted by the photograph of a Barbary lion, noam keim searches Morocco and France for the landscapes, histories, and memories that might make a home. > Read the full essay now: https://bit.ly/the-last-barbary-lion #TMR61 #Anthropocene #SWANA #ArabLit #Literature #Morocco #MoroccanLit20 Sep 2026 15:00 +0000at://did:plc:d744cqp2a4eta24t2pyegwgu/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvxhm5sv6r2yhttps://bsky.app/profile/markaz-review.bsky.social/post/3mvsu3taohw2pIn this short story set amid the U.S. bombing of Iran, our narrator worries about his elderly parents, his overweight cat, and a long-awaited delivery. > Read Shahab Eddin Pakbeen's (latest piece: https://bit.ly/please-wait-a-short-story #SWANAliterature #TheFictionDesk 18 Sep 2026 19:00 +0000at://did:plc:d744cqp2a4eta24t2pyegwgu/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvsu3taohw2phttps://bsky.app/profile/markaz-review.bsky.social/post/3mvsqrk3tfx2lIn this short story, a man returns to his hometown and must negotiate his relationship with faith, community, and a woman from his past. > Discover Barâa Arar’s latest story: bit.ly/the-dentists-son-a-short-story #TMRWeekly #TheMarkazReview #SWANAliterature #ShortStory #TheFictionDesk #Fiction18 Sep 2026 18:00 +0000at://did:plc:d744cqp2a4eta24t2pyegwgu/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvsqrk3tfx2lhttps://bsky.app/profile/markaz-review.bsky.social/post/3mvsmk3iyan2sPalestinian novelist and poet Karim Kattan reflects on the problems, pleasures, and peculiarities of writing fiction today. > Seven Questions with Karim Kattan by Saleem Haddad: bit.ly/seven-questions-with-karim-kattan #TMRWeekly #TheMarkazReview #SWANAliterature #TheFictionDesk 18 Sep 2026 16:45 +0000at://did:plc:d744cqp2a4eta24t2pyegwgu/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvsmk3iyan2shttps://bsky.app/profile/markaz-review.bsky.social/post/3mvsgqot5bd2pShahab Eddin Pakbeen answered a couple of questions about his latest short story, “Please Wait.” > Read Shahab Eddin Pakbeen's latest piece: https://bit.ly/please-wait-a-short-story #TMRWeekly #TheMarkazReview #SWANAliterature #TheFictionDesk #ShortStory #Iran #Farsi 18 Sep 2026 15:01 +0000at://did:plc:d744cqp2a4eta24t2pyegwgu/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvsgqot5bd2phttps://bsky.app/profile/markaz-review.bsky.social/post/3mvs7yzhlbu2kAs part of The Fiction Desk, TMR Fiction Editor Saleem Haddad interviews Barâa Arar about her latest short story, "The Dentist's Son." > Discover Barâa Arar’s interview: bit.ly/the-dentists-son-a-short-story #TMRWeekly #TheMarkazReview #SWANAliterature #ShortStory #TheFictionDesk #Fiction18 Sep 2026 13:00 +0000at://did:plc:d744cqp2a4eta24t2pyegwgu/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvs7yzhlbu2khttps://bsky.app/profile/markaz-review.bsky.social/post/3mvrzdd7nfd2rFor the first edition of The Fiction Desk, Barâa Arar offers us a reading of her latest short story, “The Dentist’s Son.” > Discover Barâa Arar’s latest story: bit.ly/the-dentists-son-a-short-story #TMRWeekly #TheMarkazReview #SWANAliterature #ShortStory #TheFictionDesk 18 Sep 2026 11:01 +0000at://did:plc:d744cqp2a4eta24t2pyegwgu/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvrzdd7nfd2rhttps://bsky.app/profile/markaz-review.bsky.social/post/3mvpwam65uh2sIn Aqaba, a phosphate worker and his daughter return to the reef where he taught her to swim, confronting what it means to love a place while participating in its destruction. Read Nour Shtayyeh's short story now: https://bit.ly/the-belt-starter-a-short-story #SWANA #ShortStory #WaterEcology17 Sep 2026 15:00 +0000at://did:plc:d744cqp2a4eta24t2pyegwgu/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvpwam65uh2shttps://bsky.app/profile/markaz-review.bsky.social/post/3mvnj6af4ax2hWe are delighted to announce that Azadeh Moaveni is joining The Markaz Literary Prizes to preside over the literary essay/creative nonfiction category. Submissions are open until Oct. 30: https://themarkaz.org/literaryprizes/ #TheMarkazReview #TheMarkazLiteraryPrizes #LiteraryPrize 16 Sep 2026 16:01 +0000at://did:plc:d744cqp2a4eta24t2pyegwgu/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvnj6af4ax2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/markaz-review.bsky.social/post/3mvkvd2bw4f2yFor our September Book Club, we are thrilled to read Saleem Haddad's latest book, "Floodlines". 🗓️ Join us Sunday, September 27th at 1pm EST/19:00 CET online. > Sign up now: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/IS--P7ikRxa1Pgr97TPldA#/registration #TMRBookClub #Bookclub #TheMarkazReview 15 Sep 2026 15:01 +0000at://did:plc:d744cqp2a4eta24t2pyegwgu/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvkvd2bw4f2yhttps://bsky.app/profile/markaz-review.bsky.social/post/3mvieu33ree2kصوت كريمة أحداد العالي، من أين جاء، ولماذا استمر؟ وكيف احتفظت في داخلها بكل أولئك الصاخبات. يمكنكم قراءة المقال كاملًا من خلال الرابط التالي: https://themarkaz.org/alsawtalali/ #المركز_بالعربي #كريمة_أحداد #مقال 14 Sep 2026 15:01 +0000at://did:plc:d744cqp2a4eta24t2pyegwgu/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvieu33ree2khttps://bsky.app/profile/markaz-review.bsky.social/post/3mvfuf4mty72pOur September pick is here, have you read it yet? 📚 We are thrilled to read Saleem Haddad's latest book, "Floodlines". Join Rana Asfour and Saleem Haddad to discuss our monthly pick. > https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/IS--P7ikRxa1Pgr97TPldA#/registration 13 Sep 2026 15:01 +0000at://did:plc:d744cqp2a4eta24t2pyegwgu/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvfuf4mty72phttps://bsky.app/profile/markaz-review.bsky.social/post/3mvddv5rik52rSherena Razek looks to the land for another way of understanding the Anthropocene and finds in Palestine's elements an intifada of their own. Read her latest essay now: https://bit.ly/elemental-intifada-how-palestine-unmakes-the-anthropocene #TMR61 #Anthropocene #SWANA #Palestine #Intifada 12 Sep 2026 15:00 +0000at://did:plc:d744cqp2a4eta24t2pyegwgu/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvddv5rik52rhttps://bsky.app/profile/markaz-review.bsky.social/post/3mvb25eekx32n"Huna: A Memoir of Revolution, Prison, and Becoming" by Abdelrahman ElGendy resists the usual expectations of the genre and asserts itself as essential reading in Egypt's post-revolutionary history. > Discover Yasmine El Rashidi’s latest review: bit.ly/becoming-free-behind-bars-a-review-of-huna11 Sep 2026 17:00 +0000at://did:plc:d744cqp2a4eta24t2pyegwgu/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvb25eekx32nhttps://bsky.app/profile/markaz-review.bsky.social/post/3mvawtlnxes2kOld tensions with a contemporary ring continue to illuminate Israel’s profound crisis as it approaches its seventy-ninth birthday. > Discover Amal Ghandour’s latest column now: bit.ly/better-baruch-spinoza-than-meir-kahane #TMRWeekly #TheMarkazReview #SWANAliterature #ThisArabLife #Palestine 11 Sep 2026 16:01 +0000at://did:plc:d744cqp2a4eta24t2pyegwgu/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvawtlnxes2khttps://bsky.app/profile/markaz-review.bsky.social/post/3mvaq67fpvi2vThe countless unanswered questions about what exactly happened on September 11, 2001 remain the greatest evidence of its instrumentalization. > Read Ammiel Alcalay's latest piece: bit.ly/failures-of-the-imagination-twenty-five-years-after-9-11 #TMRWeekly #TheMarkazReview #SWANAliterature 11 Sep 2026 14:02 +0000at://did:plc:d744cqp2a4eta24t2pyegwgu/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvaq67fpvi2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/markaz-review.bsky.social/post/3mv6gey2hv52kJoin Abdelrahman ElGendy, TMR Literary Editor, lisa minerva luxx, George Abraham and Cynthia Kreichati on Thursday, September 17, at 1 pm EDT / 6 pm UK / 7 pm CET for a deep-dive roundtable. > Sign up now: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_lYYjbfHBSZiGbXH8FZ_IaQ#/registration 10 Sep 2026 16:01 +0000at://did:plc:d744cqp2a4eta24t2pyegwgu/app.bsky.feed.post/3mv6gey2hv52khttps://bsky.app/profile/markaz-review.bsky.social/post/3mv3vvb27in2rWe are delighted to announce that Dima Alzayat is joining The Markaz Literary Prizes to preside over the short story category. Submissions for fiction and creative nonfiction are open until Oct. 30: https://themarkaz.org/literaryprizes/ #TheMarkazReview #TheMarkazLiteraryPrizes 09 Sep 2026 16:01 +0000at://did:plc:d744cqp2a4eta24t2pyegwgu/app.bsky.feed.post/3mv3vvb27in2rhttps://bsky.app/profile/markaz-review.bsky.social/post/3muzc2hgi3o2kIn our latest editorial, TMR’s Literary Editor, Abdelrahman ElGendy, reflects on what created the Anthropocene—capitalism, colonialism, ecocide—and the possibility of undoing it. Read the full editorial now: https://bit.ly/why-anthropocene #TMR61 #TheMarkazReview #Anthropocene #SWANA 08 Sep 2026 15:00 +0000at://did:plc:d744cqp2a4eta24t2pyegwgu/app.bsky.feed.post/3muzc2hgi3o2khttps://bsky.app/profile/markaz-review.bsky.social/post/3muwrlqojwy2kمن عالم نورهان أبو عوف الواسع، خمس قصائد عن ما رأته في فترات مختلفة من حياتها. يمكنكم قراءة القصائد كاملة من خلال الرابط التالي: https://themarkaz.org/norhan/ #المركز_بالعربي #نورهان_أبو_عوف #شعر07 Sep 2026 15:01 +0000at://did:plc:d744cqp2a4eta24t2pyegwgu/app.bsky.feed.post/3muwrlqojwy2khttps://bsky.app/profile/markaz-review.bsky.social/post/3muub3fbvlu2pWe’ve been meeting on the last Sunday of each month for a couple of years now, and it’s always a delight to welcome new faces and hear everyone’s thoughts on our monthly read 📚 Our online book clubs are free but advance registration is required: https://themarkaz.org/book-club/ #TMRBookClub 06 Sep 2026 15:00 +0000at://did:plc:d744cqp2a4eta24t2pyegwgu/app.bsky.feed.post/3muub3fbvlu2phttps://bsky.app/profile/markaz-review.bsky.social/post/3muozis7qsi26We are delighted to announced that our 61st issue • ANTHROPOCENE is now live! ✒️ Discover the full issue now: https://bit.ly/TMR61anthropocene #TMR61 #TheMarkazReview #Anthropocene #SWANA #Literature #NewIssue #SpeculativeFiction #Ecology 04 Sep 2026 13:01 +0000at://did:plc:d744cqp2a4eta24t2pyegwgu/app.bsky.feed.post/3muozis7qsi26https://bsky.app/profile/markaz-review.bsky.social/post/3mumppnb5ho22We’re delighted to announce that Cosac has released the first Portuguese translation of "Stories from the Center of the World: New Middle East Fiction" 📚 ✒️ Purchase a copy now: https://cosacedicoes.com.br/products/historias-do-centro-do-mundo #SWANA #literature #Portuguese #Anthology #MiddleEast03 Sep 2026 15:00 +0000at://did:plc:d744cqp2a4eta24t2pyegwgu/app.bsky.feed.post/3mumppnb5ho22https://bsky.app/profile/markaz-review.bsky.social/post/3mukeand3uv2pWe are delighted to announce that Leila Aboulela will preside over the short story category of The Markaz Literary Prizes! Submissions for fiction and creative nonfiction are open until Oct. 30, link in bio. #TheMarkazReview #TheMarkazLiteraryPrizes #LiteraryPrize #SWANA #SWANALit #LeilaAboulela 02 Sep 2026 16:30 +0000at://did:plc:d744cqp2a4eta24t2pyegwgu/app.bsky.feed.post/3mukeand3uv2phttps://bsky.app/profile/markaz-review.bsky.social/post/3muhorj5vks25For our September Book Club, we are thrilled to read "Floodlines". Join Rana Asfour, Saleem Haddad and our reader community to discuss our monthly pick. 🗓️ Join us Sunday, September 27th at 1pm EST/19:00 CET online. https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/IS--P7ikRxa1Pgr97TPldA#/registration01 Sep 2026 15:00 +0000at://did:plc:d744cqp2a4eta24t2pyegwgu/app.bsky.feed.post/3muhorj5vks25https://bsky.app/profile/markaz-review.bsky.social/post/3muf6cu2ml423يتجول بلال حسني في مصنع مهجور ويقابل عمال بناء وكلبًا أزرق، وعلى الرغم من أن كل شيء حقيقي إلا أنه يبدو خياليًا تمامًا. يمكنكم قراءة المقتطف كاملًا من خلال الرابط التالي: https://themarkaz.org/kaakat/ #المركز_بالعربي #كعكة_الحمار_الوحشي #بلال_حسني #الكتب_خان31 Aug 2026 15:00 +0000at://did:plc:d744cqp2a4eta24t2pyegwgu/app.bsky.feed.post/3muf6cu2ml423https://bsky.app/profile/markaz-review.bsky.social/post/3mua5fhrq4t2nLast month, we hosted an amazing roundtable with Aryan Omar Hassan (founder of Henar Press), Holly Mason Badra, Hoshang Waziri, and TMR editor-in-chief Lina Mounzer. Missed the conversation? You can now watch the full replay: https://youtu.be/6LJffB76Vw4?si=5AaGx7bYP0NhUcJV29 Aug 2026 15:01 +0000at://did:plc:d744cqp2a4eta24t2pyegwgu/app.bsky.feed.post/3mua5fhrq4t2nhttps://bsky.app/profile/markaz-review.bsky.social/post/3mu5mwcriq52tHow histories of extraction sediment within language itself? TMR Literary Editor, Abdelrahman ElGendy, introduces our upcoming issue, TMR 61 • ANTHROPOCENE. 🗓️ TMR 61 • ANTHROPOCENE, out on September 4th. #TheMarkazReview #TMR61 #Anthropocene #SWANAlit #ReadingCommunity 28 Aug 2026 15:01 +0000at://did:plc:d744cqp2a4eta24t2pyegwgu/app.bsky.feed.post/3mu5mwcriq52thttps://bsky.app/profile/markaz-review.bsky.social/post/3mtype4qcaf25Meet our first judge: Omar El Akkad will preside over the literary essay / creative nonfiction category of The Markaz Literary Prizes! Submissions for fiction and creative nonfiction are open until Oct. 30: www.themarkaz.org/literaryprizes #TheMarkazReview #TheMarkazLiteraryPrizes #LiteraryPrize 26 Aug 2026 16:01 +0000at://did:plc:d744cqp2a4eta24t2pyegwgu/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtype4qcaf25https://bsky.app/profile/markaz-review.bsky.social/post/3mttl2c2hng23هل يؤثر الأهل والسكان المحليون الذين لا يستطيعون التعامل مع التغيير علينا؟ لؤلؤة سوداء هي أولى قصص عبد الرحمن أحمد في المركز بالعربي. يمكنكم قراءة القصة كاملة من خلال الرابط التالي: https://themarkaz.org/loloasawdaa/ #المركز_بالعربي #لؤلؤة_سوداء #عبدالرحمن_أحمد #قصة_قصيرة24 Aug 2026 15:00 +0000at://did:plc:d744cqp2a4eta24t2pyegwgu/app.bsky.feed.post/3mttl2c2hng23