Book lovers in the Arab world spoiled for choice this summer

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Updated 02 June 2024
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Book lovers in the Arab world spoiled for choice this summer

  • Be it for relaxation or self-improvement, a common dilemma for readers is choosing between fiction and nonfiction
  • A significant number of readers favor nonfiction, particularly genres like self-improvement, history and biographies

DUBAI: For many, summer offers a chance to finally pick up that book that has been gathering dust on the nightstand all year. For others, it is an opportunity to branch out and expand their literary horizons.

During these quieter months, certain genres frequently gain popularity as readers seek out titles that match the season’s relaxed atmosphere or support their personal development goals.

Whether they are reading for relaxation or for self improvement, a common dilemma among summer readers is choosing between fiction and nonfiction.

According to author Philippe Mathijs, founder of executive and business coaching service Reach Outstanding, this choice ultimately boils down to individual taste. However, he believes “there’s a trend toward balance.

“Nonfiction satisfies curiosity and learning goals, covering topics from history to personal development, while fiction provides escapism and relaxation through imaginative storytelling,” he told Arab News.

Fiction remains a perennial year-round favorite. However, summer often sees an uptick in sales of self-help and personal development books, particularly among university students and first-time job seekers, says Mathijs.

“Self-help books offer readers practical guidance, motivation, and strategies for personal and professional growth,” he said. Such books cover a wide range of topics, from career advancement and productivity to mindfulness and relationships.

One example is Mathijs’ own latest book, “How not to be lonely at the top,” which guides readers through the unique challenges of upper-level leadership.

“Whether you’re a CEO, a manager, or a rising star in your organization, the book provides the tools and knowledge needed to thrive in today’s competitive business landscape,” he said.




Philippe Mathijs, founder of executive and business coaching service Reach Outstanding. (Supplied) 

Nasser Saleh, author of “Under the cover,” acknowledges that the choice between fiction and nonfiction is a common predicament for avid readers, but notes that even fictional works can open avenues to self-discovery.

“At present, fiction is the more popular option, appealing to those who enjoy escapism and compelling storytelling,” he told Arab News.

“These readers are drawn to narratives that whisk them away to different worlds, providing a break from everyday life.

“Under the cover” is a collection of short stories that explore the human experience. Saleh describes these narratives as anecdotes that “take readers on a journey into the depth of the human mind where the essence of their real lives remains concealed beneath the surface.”

Despite the appeal of fiction, Saleh recognizes a significant readership favors nonfiction — particularly genres like self-improvement, history and biographies. He attributes the growing popularity of memoirs and autobiographies to several factors.

“Authenticity and inspiration” is one reason, says Saleh, as readers are often captivated by real-life stories and personal journeys that provide valuable insights and motivation.

Backing this perspective, Shatha Al-Mutawa, founder and director of the Kutubna Cultural Center in Dubai, credits the demand for this genre to people’s innate curiosity to learn more about the lives of noteworthy individuals, regardless of time or place.

“We want to find answers for questions in our own lives in the strength and wisdom of others, and we want to see how people navigate challenges like the ones we face,” she told Arab News.

“This is an exciting time because we are seeing more women talk frankly and openly about different aspects of their lives.”

Indeed, at a time of growing openness in the region, an increasing number of Khaleeji women are now sharing intimate details of their lived experiences through writing, she said.

For example, Palestinian Kuwaiti author Shahd Al-Shammari shares passages from her own journals in her memoir “Head above water” — a book that looks at the intersection of gender, disability and nationality.




Dr. Shahd Al-Shammari. (Wikimedia Commons)

This is an example of “cultural insight” — another factor behind the growing demand for memories and autobiographies in the Arab world, says Saleh.

“Memoirs offer a glimpse into different cultures and experiences, deepening readers’ understanding of the Arab world,” he said.

Similarly, global influences have ignited an interest in memoirs and autobiographies as the success of international bestsellers encourage readers to seek out similar narratives within their own cultural context, said Saleh.

“Despite there being fewer authors from the Arab region, notable works like ‘I was born there, I was born here’ by Mourid Barghouti and ‘Baghdad burning: Girl blog from Iraq’ by Riverbend have garnered attention,” he said.

Additionally, Saleh said that realist and historical novels are another genre seeing a rise in popularity in the landscape of Arabic-language books.

He predicts that titles like “Gambling on the honor of Lady Mitzy” by Ahmed Al-Morsi, which was shortlisted last month for the International Prize for Arabic Fiction — also known as the “Arabic Booker” — will be a popular read this summer.

“The book sheds light on the difficult realities of the beginning of the 20th century that were very similar to the difficult realities that we experience today,” he said.




Book author Nasser Saleh notes that even fictional works can open avenues to self-discovery. (Linked_In)

Another favorite is “A mask the color of the sky” by Basim Khandaqji, which won the 2024 International Prize for Arabic Fiction.

“The mask in the book’s title refers to the blue identity card belonging to an Israeli person found by an archaeologist living in a refugee camp in Ramallah in the pocket of an old coat,” said Saleh.

Amid the war in Gaza, Al-Mutawa of the Kutubna Cultural Center believes this summer will see many readers gravitate toward books written by Palestinian authors.

“Even though it is difficult to export books from Palestine, authors and publishers are succeeding in bringing us new Palestinian literature,” she told Arab News.

She referred to books such as “Alkabsula” by Kamil Abu Hneish, which looks at the ways Palestinian political prisoners share their writings with the world.

Another title she believes will garner strong interest among readers worldwide, particularly when it is translated into English, is “Kitaba khalf alkhutut” — written by several authors from Gaza about their experiences of the ongoing war.

Similarly, Adania Shibli’s novel “Minor detail,” which recounts the harrowing events of the Nakba — or catastrophe — in 1948 Palestine, and Rashid Khalidi’s classic “Hundred year’s war on Palestine” are likely to fly off the shelves this summer as more people seek to learn about Palestine’s history, says Al-Mutawa.

“I disagree strongly with the idea that there is a scarcity of authors from the Arab region,” she said, emphasizing that the real scarcity lies in the limited media attention and public acknowledgment of the contributions made by the region’s writers.




Shatha Al-Mutawa, founder and director of the Kutubna Cultural Center in Dubai. (Kutubna Cultural Center photo)

On the flip side, for readers seeking an escape into the realm of fiction this summer, Al-Mutawa suggests exploring books like “An unsettled home” by Kuwaiti author Mai Al-Nakib.

Al-Mutawa highlights the book’s distinctive portrayal of Khaleeji women, particularly in its depiction of the relationship between people from the Gulf and India.

Another book to look out for is Saudi writer Raja Al-Sanae’s sequel to her novel “Banat Al-Riyad” (Girls of Riyadh), says Al-Mutawa.

Al-Sanae recently discussed her life and writing journey on the “Imshi maa” podcast, hinting at a sequel to the novel, which had previously garnered attention in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf.

“Let’s not forget poetry, which combines fiction and nonfiction,” Al-Mutawa told Arab News.

As a passionate reader, she strongly recommends revisiting Dunya Mikhail’s “The war works hard,” while eagerly anticipating the release of the author’s newest collection, “Tablets: Secrets of the clay,” set to debut in September.

While some readers may opt to browse the shelves of bookstores for their summer reads, others may prefer the convenience of online shopping and ebooks.

Ultimately, various formats in which books are available cater to different preferences and needs, said Al-Mutawa.

For example, audiobooks are ideal for individuals with long commutes, while lightweight ebooks are convenient on the go.

For Al-Mutawa and other book enthusiasts, however, holding a physical edition in hand and turning the pages provides a sensory satisfaction that ebooks just cannot match.
 

 


Israeli strike hits vehicle at Beirut southern entrance: state media

Updated 4 sec ago
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Israeli strike hits vehicle at Beirut southern entrance: state media

BEIRUT: Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported an Israeli strike on a vehicle on Beirut’s southern entrance, as the Israeli army said it hit a “terrorist” working for Iran.
According to the NNA, “an enemy drone targeted a car on the Khalde highway” south of Beirut.
The Israeli army said it “eliminated a terrorist responsible for smuggling weapons and advancing terror attacks against Israeli civilians and IDF troops, on behalf of the Iranian Quds Force,” the foreign operations arm of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.

Algeria jails historian who questioned Amazigh culture

Updated 3 min 53 sec ago
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Algeria jails historian who questioned Amazigh culture

  • He was arrested on May 3 for “the crime of undermining national unity“
  • Belghit’s lawyer Toufik Hichour said on Facebook that a court sentenced him to five years

ALGIERS: An Algerian court on Thursday sentenced historian Mohamed Amine Belghit to five years in prison for offending national symbols, his lawyer said, after remarks questioning the existence of the native Amazigh culture.

Belghit sparked outrage in the North African country when he said in a recent interview that “the Amazigh language is an ideological project of Franco-Zionist origin,” and that “there’s no such thing as Amazigh culture.”

He was arrested on May 3 for “the crime of undermining national unity” by targeting “symbols of the nation and the republic” as well as “disseminating hate speech,” the prosecution said at the time.

On Thursday, Belghit’s lawyer Toufik Hichour said on Facebook that a court outside the capital Algiers sentenced him to five years behind bars.

The prosecutor had requested seven years jailtime and a fine of 700,000 dinars ($5,400).

Algeria in 2016 granted official status to Tamazight, the language of the Amazigh people, who are also known as Berbers.

The Berber new year celebration, Yennayer, was added in 2017 to the list of national holidays.

Belghit, a university professor, is no stranger to controversies.

His remarks often cause uproar, with critics accusing him of historical revisionism and hostility toward the Amazigh people.


Iran committed to Non-Proliferation Treaty, foreign minister says

Updated 5 min 41 sec ago
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Iran committed to Non-Proliferation Treaty, foreign minister says

  • Abbas Araqchi made the comment a day after Tehran enacted a law suspending cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog
  • Iran has accused the IAEA of siding with Western countries and providing a justification for Israel’s airstrikes

Iran remains committed to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and its safeguards agreement, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Thursday, a day after Tehran enacted a law suspending cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog.
“Our cooperation with the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) will be channeled through Iran’s Supreme National Security Council for obvious safety and security reasons,” Araqchi wrote in a post on X.
President Masoud Pezeshkian on Wednesday enacted the legislation passed by parliament last week to suspend cooperation with the IAEA, a move the US called “unacceptable.”
Araqchi’s comment on X was in response to a call from Germany’s Foreign Ministry urging Tehran to reverse its decision to shelve cooperation with the IAEA.
Araqchi accused Germany of “explicit support for Israel’s unlawful attack on Iran, including safeguarded nuclear sites.”
Iran has accused the IAEA of siding with Western countries and providing a justification for Israel’sJune 13-24 airstrikes on Iranian nuclear installations, which began a day after the UN agency’s board of governors voted to declare Tehran in violation of its obligations under the NPT.
Western powers have long suspected that Iran has sought to develop the means to build atomic bombs through its declared civilian atomic energy program. Iran has repeatedly said it is enriching uranium only for peaceful nuclear ends.
IAEA inspectors are mandated to ensure compliance with the NPT by seeking to verify that nuclear programs in treaty countries are not diverted for military purposes.
The law that went into effect on Wednesday mandates that any future inspection of Iranian nuclear sites by the IAEA needs approval by Tehran’s Supreme National Security Council.
“We are aware of these reports. The IAEA is awaiting further official information from Iran,” the Vienna-based global nuclear watchdog said in a statement.
US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce told a regular briefing on Wednesday that Iran needed to cooperate fully with the IAEA without further delay.


Kurdish fighters in northern Iraq to hand over weapons in first step toward disarmament

Updated 03 July 2025
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Kurdish fighters in northern Iraq to hand over weapons in first step toward disarmament

  • “A group of guerrilla fighters will come down from the mountains and will bid farewell to their arms in an effort to declare their good will for peace and democratic politics,” PKK said
  • A PKK spokesperson said the fighters will destroy their weapons “under the supervision of civil society institutions”

IRBIL, Iraq: A Kurdish militant group that has waged a long-running insurgency in Türkiye announced Thursday its fighters in northern Iraq will begin handing over their weapons, marking the first concrete step toward disarmament as part of a peace process.

The Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, announced in May it would disband and renounce armed conflict, ending four decades of hostilities. The move came after PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan, who has been imprisoned on an island near Istanbul since 1999, urged his group in February to convene a congress and formally disband and disarm.

Ocalan, 76, continues to wield significant influence in the Kurdish movement despite his 25-year imprisonment. His call to end the fighting marked a pivotal step toward ending the decades-long conflict that has claimed tens of thousands of lives since the 1980s.

In the latest development, “a group of guerrilla fighters will come down from the mountains and will bid farewell to their arms in an effort to declare their good will for peace and democratic politics,” the PKK said in a statement Thursday.

The ceremony, which is expected to take place between July 10 and July 12 in the city of Sulaymaniyah in northern Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdish region, will be the first concrete move toward disarmament.

Zagros Hiwa, a PKK spokesperson, said the fighters will destroy their weapons “under the supervision of civil society institutions and interested parties.” The number of fighters who will take part has not yet been determined but might be between 20 and 30, he said.

For the PKK to take further steps toward disarmament, he said “the regime of isolation” imposed on Öcalan in prison “has to be abolished” and “constitutional, legal and political” must be taken to “ensure that the guerrilla who have abandoned the strategy of armed struggle could be reintegrated into democratic politics in Turkiye.”

An Iraqi Kurdish official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly, said the PKK members are expected to hand over their light weapons to the regional government.

The regional government is dominated by two parties, the Kurdistan Democratic Party and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, with the KDP overseeing the regional capital, Irbil, and the city of Dohuk. The PUK governs Sulaymaniyah.

The KDP has good relations with Türkiye and has been at odds with the PKK, while the PUK is closer to the PKK.

In Türkiye on Monday, Omer Celik, a spokesperson for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party, or AKP, said the PKK could begin handing over arms “within days,” but did not provide details. Celik added that Erdogan would meet with members of the pro-Kurdish party next week to discuss the peace effort.

There was no immediate statement from Türkiye’s government on Thursday’s announcement.

The PKK has long maintained bases in the mountains of northern Iraq. Turkish forces have launched offensives and airstrikes against the PKK in Iraq and have set up bases in the area. Scores of villages have emptied as a result.

The Iraqi government in Baghdad last year announced an official ban on the separatist group, which has long been prohibited in Türkiye.


Killings rise when Gaza Health Foundation distributes aid: Analysis

Palestinian children line up to receive a hot meal at a food distribution point in Nuseirat on June 30, 2025. (AFP)
Updated 03 July 2025
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Killings rise when Gaza Health Foundation distributes aid: Analysis

  • Sky News finds correlation between aid drops, increased fatalities
  • UN labels GHF sites ‘death traps,’ amid claims Israeli soldiers deliberately fire at civilians

LONDON: An investigation has found an increase in deaths in Gaza correlated with aid distribution overseen by the US- and Israel-backed Gaza Health Foundation.

The GHF took over humanitarian supply systems in the Palestinian enclave in May, replacing around 400 distribution sites run by other charities and NGOs with four designated facilities, called Secure Distribution Sites.

They were meant to ensure that aid did not fall into the hands of Hamas or other armed groups, which Israel alleges frequently happened under the previous UN-backed system.

However, Gaza’s health authorities say more than 600 Palestinians have been killed trying to access aid at the sites, which the UN has labeled “death traps.” Israeli soldiers have been accused of opening fire directly at civilians.

Analysis conducted by Sky News suggests that killings rise when aid is distributed by the GHF.

Sky’s Data & Forensics Unit found that an average of 48 deaths and 189 injuries are reported when the GHF operates two or fewer aid distributions. That number rises almost threefold when it runs five to six aid drops. 

Sky reported that between June 5 and July 1, 77 aid distributions were conducted by the GHF. Of those, 23 — or 30 percent of the total — resulted in reports of violence, and at SDS4 half of all drops saw bloodshed.

A recent report by Israeli newspaper Haaretz interviewed Israeli soldiers who said they were ordered to fire at crowds of unarmed Palestinians at the GHF sites.

The Israeli military denies the allegations, but said it is investigating incidents where civilians have been harmed.

The UN, in its most recent update on June 24, put the number of casualties at GHF sites at 410, citing data available from nearby hospitals.

The GHF has been severely criticized for the manner in which aid is distributed, with footage obtained by Sky on June 15 showing Palestinians at SDS1 crowding and rummaging among hundreds of scattered aid packages discarded on the floor.

Sky’s analysis found that aid is often delivered in significantly smaller quantities than required, with supplies running out on average after just nine minutes. At 23 percent of aid drops, supplies were exhausted before the official opening time. 

Sky reported that 86 percent of distributions were announced to people in the area less than 30 minutes in advance, and that maps and instructions distributed to locals to navigate and access the sites were inaccurate or dangerous, including telling civilians trying to reach SDS2, 3 and 4 to congregate inside areas labeled live combat zones by Israel.

In addition, the congregation areas are typically some distance from the sites, causing surges when they open as people attempt to cover the open ground to access the aid.

The shortest distance from a waiting point to an SDS is 689 meters, at SDS4, approximately 10 minutes away on foot — more than the average time before supplies run out.

Sam Rose, director of operations in Gaza for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, called the GHF’s system a “free-for-all.”

He told Sky: “What they’re doing is, they’re loading up the boxes on the ground and then people just rush in.”

Rose added: “They (the GHF) don’t know what they’re doing. They don’t have anyone working on these operations who has any experience of operating, of administering food distributions because anyone who did have that experience wouldn’t want to be part of it because this isn’t how you treat people.”

A group of charities and humanitarian groups on Tuesday condemned the GHF’s operations, saying they violate international principles.

More than 200 groups have called for the reinstatement of the previous aid distribution system overseen by the UN.