Off the Wall: Political Posters of the Lebanese Civil War by Zeina Maasri

 

Zeina Maasri tells the story of the Lebanese civil war through the political posters that flooded the streets from 1975 to 1990. With extensive knowledge of the local context and an in depth understanding of the semiotics of media art, she looks at the aesthetic influences amongst each of the political factions, sometimes referring to Latin America or revolutionary Iran. Maasri also discusses the changing iconography of the posters in relation to a changing identity as the war developed. 

 

This book is a collection of true stories written by people of non conforming sexualities and gender identities. These stories tell tales of discrimination, coming out, gender identity struggle, but also of love and hope. They break apart the myths surrounding the issues they raise and take a glimpse into the lives of a part of society that is often ignored.

The Sign by Raymond Khoury

 

Raymond Khoury’s first two novels 'The sanctuary' (2007) and 'The last templar' (2006) were  successful thrillers and so is this one. After investigating ancient religious conflicts in his first book Khoury has written a book that explores current planetary preoccupation. The story begins in Antarctica (strangely reminiscent of Dan Brown’s Deception point). While there to cover the breakup of the continent's ice shelf, a television reporter, Grace Logan, and her crew are astonished to see a shimmering sphere of light appear in the sky and a few minutes later disappear. While trying to figure out what it is, Grace learns of a priest who has been drawing the sphere for 7 months. Is the sphere a sign of God? Or is it linked to a scientific project which caused the death of several people? The book's approach to the debate on science vs. religion is an interesting one.

The invisible cage: Syrian Migrant workers in Lebanon by John Chalcraft

 

This book takes a look at the lives of Syrian migrant workers in Lebanon, from how they came to make up a large portion of the Lebanese work force in the 1950’s and 1960’s, to how they lived through the civil war, to the way they dealt with the reconstruction of the 1990’s and the instability since 2005. Through social studies and history, this book questions the accepted view that the end of slavery and feudality in the region brought on a more open form of economic labour migration. By demonstrating that 'The invisible cage' which keeps the rotation of migrant workers going is one of hegemonic influences this book breaks barriers in Middle Eastern Studies.