Studies Arabic literary production from the point of view of commitment and hybridization and the interactions between them Discusses the role of the 1948 Nakba in shaping Palestinian culture and literature Presents the contribution of Ma?m?d Darw?sh in the process of Palestinian nation-building Sheds light on the emergence of Palestinian theatrical movement Provocatively rereads the history of Jewish involvement in Arabic literature Laments the demise of Arab-Jewish culture following the clash between Zionism and Arab national movement Part of a two-volume set, this volume examines the issues of commitment and hybridization in Arabic literature concentrating on Palestinian literature and Arab-Jewish culture and the interactions between them. Reuvin Snir studies the contribution of Palestinian literature and theatre to Palestinian nation-building, especially since the 1948 Nakba. Becoming an essential part of the vocabulary of Arab intellectuals and writers, since the 1950s commitment (iltiz?m) has been employed to indicate the necessity for a writer to convey a message rather than merely create an imaginative work for its own sake. As for hybridization, the author focuses on the role Jews have played in Arabic literature against the backdrop of their contribution to this literature since the pre-Islamic period, and in light of the gradual demise of Arab-Jewish culture in recent years. The blending of elements from different cultures is one of the major phenomena in Arabic literature, certainly in light of its relationship with Islam and its cultural heritage, which has been extending during the last one-and-half millennia.

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 9781399503211
Author Reuven Snir
Format Hardback
Page Count 400
Imprint Edinburgh University Press
Publisher Edinburgh University Press