{"product_id":"markaz-stories","title":"Markaz Stories","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eOne of \u003c\/i\u003eThe Millions\u003ci\u003e Most Anticipated Books \u0026amp; a Powell''s Bookstore Staff Favorite of the Year!\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eShort stories from 25 emerging and established writers of Middle Eastern and North African origins, a unique collection of voices and viewpoints that illuminate life in the global Arab\/Muslim world.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Provocative and subtle, nuanced and surprising, these stories demonstrate how this complicated and rich region might best be approached—through the power of literature.\"—\u003cstrong\u003eViet Thanh Nguyen, author of\u003cem\u003e The Committed\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eStories from the Center of the World\u003c\/i\u003e gathers new writing from the greater Middle East (or SWANA), a vast region that stretches from Southwest Asia, through the Middle East and Turkey, and across Northern Africa. The 25 authors included here come from a wide range of cultures and countries, including Palestine, Syria, Pakistan, Iran, Lebanon, Egypt, and Morocco, to name some.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn “Asha and Haaji,” \u003cb\u003eHanif Kureishi\u003c\/b\u003e takes up the cause of outsiders who become uprooted when war or disaster strikes and they flee for safe haven. In \u003cb\u003eNektaria Anastasiadou\u003c\/b\u003e’s “The Location of the Soul According to Benyamin Alhadeff,” two students in Istanbul from different classes — and religions that have often been at odds with one another — believe they can overcome all obstacles. \u003cb\u003eMK Harb\u003c\/b\u003e’s story, “Counter Strike,” is about queer love among Beiruti adolescents; and \u003cb\u003eSalar Abdoh\u003c\/b\u003e’s “The Long Walk of the Martyrs” invites us into the world of former militants, fighters who fought ISIS or Daesh in Iraq and Syria, who are having a hard time readjusting to civilian life. In “Eleazar,” \u003cb\u003eKarim Kattan\u003c\/b\u003e tells an unexpected Palestinian story in which the usual antagonists — Israeli occupation forces — are mostly absent, while another malevolent force seems to overtake an unsuspecting family. \u003cb\u003eOmar El Akkad\u003c\/b\u003e’s “The Icarist” is a coming-of-age story about the underworld in which illegal immigrants are forced to live, and what happens when one dares to break away. \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eContributors include:\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cb\u003eSalar Abdoh, Leila Aboulela, Farah Ahamed, Omar El Akkad, Sarah AlKahly-Mills, Nektaria Anastasiadou, Amany Kamal Eldin, Jordan Elgrably, Omar Foda, May Haddad, \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003eDanial Haghighi, \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003eMalu Halasa, MK Harb, Alireza Iranmehr, \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e Karim Kattan, \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003eHanif Kureishi, Ahmed Salah Al-Mahdi, Diary Marif, Tariq Mehmood, Sahar Mustafah, Mohammed Al-Naas, Ahmed Naji, Mai Al-Nakib, Abdellah Taia, and Natasha Tynes\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"MediaPlace","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57254967607678,"sku":"NW9780872869073","price":14.95,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1379\/1261\/files\/9780872869073.jpg?v=1778535996","url":"https:\/\/mediaplace.com\/en-eu\/products\/markaz-stories","provider":"MediaPlace","version":"1.0","type":"link"}