Studies Arabic literary production from the point of view of continuity and interference and the interactions between them Discusses various topics related to the interaction between the old and the new such as world upside down, mystical tendency and science fiction Examines the way Arabic authors draw inspiration from their ancient cultural and literary heritage Sheds light on the role of Kafka and Virginia Woolf and other major Western authors in Arabic literature Presents the way through which science fiction has emerged in Arabic literary writing Explains the role of Arabic literature within world literature Volume I examines the ways in which contemporary Arab authors communicate with two major sources of inspiration: the first, is the rich Arabic literary heritage whether it has been embodied in texts or concrete experiences, real or imaginary. The second are other cultures and literatures which have become sources for direct or indirect loans for Arabic literature. Both sources are essential for our understanding of the nature of contemporary Arabic literary works. The relationship between modern and medieval Arabic literature is indispensable; moreover, the literariness of any Arabic literary text cannot be isolated from the history of Arabic literature. Also, the role and function of Arabic literature, the nature of its literary criticism and scholarship, the relations between religious, political, and other activities within Arab culture and its literary production all may be modelled in Arab culture in relation to other culture or cultures.

About the Author
Reuven Snir is Professor of Arabic Language and Literature at the University of Haifa. His most recent books in English include Arab-Jewish Literature: The Birth and Demise of the Arabic Short Story (Brill, 2019), Modern Arabic Literature: A Theoretical Framework (EUP, 2017), Baghdad ? The City in Verse (Harvard University Press, 2013) and Who Needs Arab-Jewish Identity? (Brill, 2015).

Reviews
"Apart from the author's possessing an undisputable in-depth knowledge of the subjects discussed, the most interesting thing with this work is the new perspectives that are being presented. This is achieved by the writer's method of putting the subjects against the backdrop of different angles. The method of looking at the subjects against the different axes has its own original place and it gives its own contribution to a deeper understanding of Arabic literature." -Astrid Ottosson al-Bitar, Associate Professor, Stockholm University



Book Information
ISBN 9781399503259
Author Reuven Snir
Format Hardback
Page Count 400
Imprint Edinburgh University Press
Publisher Edinburgh University Press