Outside The Prison Walls (abdalrahman Munif On Politics And Literature)

By (author) Munif, Abdalrahman; Foreword by Antoon Sinan; Edited by Jarrar, Maher; Introduction by Jarrar, Maher; Translated by Younes, Mariam; Translated by Jarrar, Maher
Short description/annotation:

A unique collection of nonfiction writings and last interviews with one of the most important 20th century novelists in the Arab world

Description:

Abdalrahman Munif was a towering, transformative figure in Arabic literature. The author of more than 25 books, he was a public intellectual and an icon of principled opposition to authoritarian regimes. Today, he is one of the most-read novelists in the Arab world. Though he died in 2004, much of his oeuvre feels like it could have been written yesterday.

Born and raised in Jordan, Munif spent much of his adulthood in Iraq, Egypt and Syria—a lifetime of experience that sharpened his unique perspective on the social, political and economic realities of the region.

Outside the Prison Walls is the first English language collection bringing together some of Munif''s most enduring nonfiction writings with a series of interviews conducted in late 2003, shortly before his death. The essays and interviews take the reader on a journey, intertwining historical and current events in Iraq and the wider region, as well as politics and literature, with the personal story of one of the most important Arab novelists and intellectuals of our times.

Table of contents:

Acknowledgments
Foreword by Sinan Antoon
Introduction
1. Essays
The National Culture – Facts and Challenges
Opinion and Testimony about Oppression
Bad Times and the Silent Intellectual
The Concept of Heroism in the Arabic Novel
The Language of Dialogue in the Novel
2. The Last Interview
3. On Abdalrahman Munif
Abdalrahman Munif: A Study by Maher Jarrar
Friendship Blues by Maher Jarrar
Timeline
Munif''s Oeuvre (European Languages)
Studies on Munif''s Oeuvre in European Languages
Bibliography
Index

Review quote:

''With all eyes on the Gulf, this timeless and brilliant presentation of itinerant novelist Abdalrahman Munif couldn’t be more timely. The interviews with Munif, along with Maher Jarrar’s accompanying background essays, offer a master class in the geo-politics of revolutionary knowledge and imagination''

Review quote:

''A powerful tribute to one of the twentieth century’s most important yet underappreciated novelists and public intellectuals. This book illuminates how Munif gave voice to a generation of Arab dreamers, exiles, and dissidents who challenged empire and tyranny, leaving behind a literary legacy whose moral and political urgency remains unmatched''

Biographical note:
Abdalrahman Munif (1933-2004) studied law at Baghdad University and later in Cairo and Belgrade, where he received his PhD in Economics of Oil, and later lived in Baghdad, Paris and Damascus. He is best known for his novels, especially the Cities of Salt quintet, which was banned in Saudi Arabia due to its uncompromising critique of the royal family. In his later life, he opposed the American invasion of Iraq and spent the last years of his life working on non-fiction projects attacking US imperialism. Sinan Antoon is an Iraqi poet, novelist, scholar and literary translator. Maher Jarrar is Professor for Arabic and Islamic Studies at the American University of Beirut. He has published numerous books and articles in the field of Islamic studies, Arabic literature and literary criticism. Maher Jarrar is Professor for Arabic and Islamic Studies at the American University of Beirut. He has published numerous books and articles in the field of Islamic studies, Arabic literature and literary criticism. Mariam Younes is a German-Lebane