A Brief Introduction to Modern Arabic Literature

Modern Arabic literature remains little known and poorly understood despite growing curiosity among European readers. This brief introduction offers a unique overview, focusing on developments over the last fifty years. It provides a guide to the literary landscape, indicating the major landmarks in the shape of authors, ideas and debates. The picture that emerges shows that the literature of the modern Arab world, Europe's closest neighbour, is not so far from us as we are sometimes encouraged to think. This is a timely contribution to the dialogue between East and West, bringing modern Arabic literature into the mainstream for English-speaking readers.

David Tresilian has taught at Columbia University, the American University of Cairo, Cairo University and the University of Paris XIII. He has been at the American University of Paris since 1999 and was formerly co-editor of the Cairo Review of Books, published in Cairo by al-Ahram.