Ambiguous Architectures in Abu Dhabi themarkaz.org/featured-art... My latest for the @markaz-review.bsky.social on Kuwaiti artist Ala Younis' mid-career retrospective at NYUAD Gallery, focusing on her work on weather systems & cyclical architecture in the UAE.

📊 In 2025, The Markaz Review published 260 writers from Southwest Asia and North Africa (SWANA) and its diasporas, passed 1,500 SWANA stories since 2020, welcomed 96 Arabic‑language contributors, and featured 50 artists. Here’s to more bold work in 2026. 🎊 #TheMarkazReview #YearInReview #SWANAlit

TMR Book Club read 4 of the 6 shortlisted titles for the Saif Ghobash Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary Translation this year and hosted conversations with their authors and translators. 📚 🌟 Sign up for our English Book Club newsletter: https://bit.ly/bcsub #TheMarkazReview #TMRBookClub

🌒 [TMR 56 - NOIR] In “Tahmina—a story from Iran,” Abdollah Nazari, translated by Salar Abdoh, follows a woman who has fled war, exile, and hardship, only to learn she still can’t stop running—even in a quiet town. ​ Read: https://bit.ly/tahmina-a-story-from-iran

📰 [TMR WEEKLY] This week: a haunting holiday story from Greece by Ioanna Karystiani; Öykü Tekten on James Baldwin’s refuge in Istanbul; and Amal Ghandour reflecting on Emm Kamel, despair, and cultural resistance. 🔗 Dive in now: https://bit.ly/weekly-latest-articles #TheMarkazReview #TMRWeekly

I've been involved with TMR for a few years now. It's an excellent place to read all about SWANA literature & arts, discover new voices & get reacquainted with familiar ones. It comes in Arabic & French too! I'm sure like me you are bombarded by donation requests, but have a read & keep us in mind.

Message from our editors 💬 The Markaz Review has featured nearly 200 writers from Southwest Asia and North Africa (SWANA) this year—and over 1,000 voices since our founding. Help us keep publishing bold, independent work.​ Donate: https://bit.ly/donatetmr

The Markaz Review @markaz-review.bsky.social ⭐ is open to submissions for Mother Tongue. #CallforSubmissions

For our first bimonthly issue of 2026, MOTHER TONGUE, The Markaz Review seeks work on languages gained, lost, imposed, or reclaimed—essays, stories, poems, art, reviews, and translation reflections from SWANA and its diasporas. 🔗 https://bit.ly/tmr-submissions #TheMarkazReview #CallforSubmissions

Featured artist Ala Younis maps Abu Dhabi’s “ambiguous architectures,” where buildings rise and vanish in fast cycles, turning the Gulf city into a noir stage of unstable histories and fragile futures.​ 🔗 https://bit.ly/featured-artist-ala-younis-ambiguous-architectures-in-abu-dhabi

📰 [TMR WEEKLY] Latest in TMR Weekly: Selin Tamtekin on Turkish rebel artist Nevhiz; Alex Demyanenko on Iraqi asylum drama “If You See Something”; and Lulu Norman on Marrakech’s African book festival FLAM, centering Africa’s own voices.​ 🔗 Dive in: https://bit.ly/weekly-latest-articles

📝 [TMR 56 • NOIR] In “An Unwritten Poem,” Omar Khalifah—translated by Barbara Romaine—follows a Palestinian poet in New York trying to write the one poem that might change his life, amid noir streets, memory, and exile.​ Read: https://bit.ly/an-unwritten-poem-new-fiction-by-omar-khalifah

10 Noir Novels to Kill For in @markaz-review.bsky.social including The End of the Sahara by Said Khatibi - coming from Bitter Lemon in Feb (UK) and March (US)! themarkaz.org/10-noir-nove...

🌒 [TMR 56 • NOIR] In “Escaping the ‘Cockroach’—On Melancholy and Noir,” Jordan Elgrably and Mohammad Rabie explore how noir has become a way of life amid war, corruption, and constant crisis—and how to hold on to our humanity. 🔗 Read: https://bit.ly/escaping-the-cockroach-on-melancholy-and-noir

We are publishing The End of the Sahara by Said Khatibi, translated by Alexander Elinson, on 26th Feb (UK) + 24th March (US). Read this excerpt in @markaz-review.bsky.social to find out why we're so excited about it: themarkaz.org/the-end-of-t... #Algeria #FictionInTranslation

📣 TMR 56 - NOIR is live! Explore essays, fiction, poetry, and art tracing how noir has slipped off the page into our daily lives—war, surveillance, cities, crime, and desire across the SWANA region and its diasporas. 🔗 Read now: https://bit.ly/tmr-56-noir #TheMarkazReview #TMR56 #Noir

🌒 [TMR 56 • NOIR] TMR Arabic Editor Mohammad Rabie reflects on how noir has left fiction and become a way of life—wars, headlines, and violence in real time, in full color. 👉 December issue TMR 56 • NOIR drops tomorrow. Stay tuned. #TheMarkazReview #TMR56 #Noir

📣 We’re hiring a part-time, remote Literary Editor. Join The Markaz Review to help shape SWANA literature—editing fiction, essays, poetry, and translation from the region and its diasporas. Passion for diverse voices required. Send CV to [email protected] #TheMarkazReview #LiteraryEditor

📚 [EVENT RECAP] Highlights from last week’s event in Montpellier: Sholeh Wolpé reading from “The Invisible Sun” and Jordan Elgrably presenting “The Best of The Markaz Review: 2020–2025.” ✨ Digital edition of “The Best of The Markaz Review” : https://bit.ly/the-best-of-the-markaz-review-2020-2025

📰 New in TMR Weekly: a film review of “The Woman Who Wouldn’t Break—Cutting Through Rocks’ Sara Shahverdi,” an interview with Corinne Silva on Israeli settlement gardens in Palestine, and a review of “Terms of Servitude” on digital settler colonialism. 🔗 Read: https://bit.ly/weekly-latest-articles

Our December issue, TMR 56 • NOIR, asks what it means to live inside a world that feels more noir than fiction—sharp, neon, shadowed, glowing on every screen. 👉 Release date: Friday, December 5th - stay tuned. 🗣️ Share this if you feel the paradox. #TheMarkazReview #TMR56 #Noir #UpcomingIssue

🎨 [TMR 55 NATIONALITY] Artist El Mehdi Largo on transforming identity, borders, and belonging—using art to challenge orientalist tropes and celebrate humanity. 🔗 Read: https://bit.ly/we-the-wanderers-featured-artist-el-mehdi-largo #TheMarkazReview #TMR55 #Nationality #FeaturedArtist

عن ممثل ارتجالي كوميدي، يؤدي في لندن تحت تأثير الحشيش، يكتب محمد النعاس قصة قصيرة رائعة عن جروح الماضي. يمكنكم قراءة القصة كاملة من خلال الرابط التالي: https://themarkaz.org/goldendove/ #سن_الحمامة_الذهبية #محمد_النعاس #قصة_قصيرة #المركز_بالعربي

Support The Markaz Review—Omar El Akkad calls our work “vital” for SWANA voices and independent literature. Every donation helps amplify nuanced writing, art, and translation. Join or donate: https://bit.ly/tmr-become-a-member #SWANA #TheMarkazReview #Donate

📚 [TMR BOOK CLUB] Join Rana Asfour to discuss “Whispering Walls” by Choman Hardi—three siblings in Kurdistan and the UK, facing war and memory. Online, Nov 30, 1pm EST. 🔗 Sign up: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/iBwOyUOeQ46Hw6BNiyG-IA #TheMarkazReview #TMRBookClub #UpcomingEvent

📰 [TMR WEEKLY] New: Claudia Mende on Fatima Mernissi, biweekly Lebanon column by Amal Ghandour, Lina Mounzer's advice, Kurdish writers and reviews, Istanbul’s Biennale, and İlhan Sami Çomak for PEN International’s Day of the Imprisoned Writer. 🔗 Dive in: https://bit.ly/weekly-latest-articles

📝 [TMR 55 NATIONALITY] Adam Makary examines how grieving for Palestine is policed and the emotional toll of bearing witness in classrooms and newsrooms. 🔗 Read more: https://bit.ly/the-grammar-of-power-on-journalism-grief-and-the-stories-that-break-us #TheMarkazReview #TMR55 #Journalism #Grief

🌎 [WORLD PICKS] Did you catch November’s top cultural highlights? From Arab jazz and art to queer drag and frontline comics — explore what the editors picked this month: https://bit.ly/november-world-picks-from-the-editors-2 #WorldPicks #November #TheMarkazReview

📚 [LE BOOK CLUB] Rejoignez-nous le dimanche 7 novembre à 18h00 pour discuter de « Badjens » (publié par @editionspoints.bsky.social) avec l’autrice Delphine Minoui. Animé par Lara Vergnaud. 🔗 Inscrivez-vous ici : https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/YB8vu3acTk68uW16Iid60Q #TheMarkazReview

[TMR 55 NATIONALITY] Jordan Elgrably and Malu Halasa reflect on borders, identity, and statelessness, examining why nationality matters today. Read more: https://bit.ly/why-nationality #TheMarkazReview #TMR55 #Nationality #Editorial

🌍 [TMR 55 NATIONALITY] Dive into stories on borders, identity, and belonging—featuring art, poetry, and essays from around the world. 🔗 Read: https://bit.ly/tmr-55-nationality #TheMarkazReview #TMR55 #Nationality

📖 [TMR 55 NATIONALITY] Read “Paranoia”—a moving story from Afghanistan by Parand, translated by Asad Narim. Made possible by @untold-narratives.bsky.social and supported by KfW. https://bit.ly/paranoia-a-story-from-afghanistan #TheMarkazReview #TMR55 #Afghanistan #Nationality

📚 [TMR BOOK CLUB] Rana Asfour hosts a discussion of “Whispering Walls” by Choman Hardi—exploring memory, trauma, and resilience in Kurdistan. 🗓️ Join us Nov 30 at 1pm EST! Register: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/iBwOyUOeQ46Hw6BNiyG-IA #TMRBookClub #WhisperingWalls #Kurdistan

📝 [THIS ARAB LIFE] Amal Ghandour ponders the lasting impact of Umm Khulthum and what her memory means today. Read her latest column: https://bit.ly/how-much-do-we-miss-umm-khulthum #ThisArabLife #UmmKhulthum #TheMarkazReview

The Markaz Review @markaz-review.bsky.social will be closing to submissions soon for NOIR. #CallforSubmissions

📅 [UPCOMING EVENT] Experience “An Evening of Poetry & Prose” in Montpellier at Gazette Café on Nov 29 with poet Sholeh Wolpé reading “The Invisible Sun” and Jordan Elgrably presenting “The Best of The Markaz Review.” 🔗 https://bit.ly/an-evening-of-poetry-prose #LiteraryEvent

Reading the new issue of @markaz-review.bsky.social themarkaz.org/why-national... Why #Nationality ?

🌍 TMR 55 NATIONALITY is out now! Explore stories of borders, belonging, and identity—featuring essays, interviews, fiction, and poetry from Palestine and beyond. Read now: https://bit.ly/tmr-55-nationality #TheMarkazReview #Nationality #TMR55

Jordan Elgrably reflects on #Nationality for TMR 55 — exploring belonging, statelessness, and identity in turbulent times, inspired by Mahmoud Darwish’s words. 🗓️ Save the date, the issue comes out on November 7th! #TheMarkazReview #TMR55 #EditorsTalk

في أحدث روايات أحمد عبد اللطيف «أصل الأنواع»، يتخذ الكاتب المصري من تيار الوعي أسلوبًا سرديًا يشغل الرواية بأكملها، حيث نرى كل شيء يحدث في وقت واحد، كل حدث مشكوك فيه، وكل شخصية ينتابها القلق إزاء شيء ما. يمكنكم قراءة المقتطف كاملا من خلال الرابط التالي: https://themarkaz.org/originofspecies/

📰 [TMR WEEKLY] New: an interview and film review on Annemarie Jacir’s “Palestine 36” — exploring Palestinian identity, history, and occupation through film. 🔗 Read more: https://bit.ly/interview-annemarie-jacir-on-palestine-36 https://bit.ly/birth-of-an-occupation-annemarie-jacirs-palestine-36

📖 [TMR 54 FRIENDSHIP] Explore 10 Arab novels highlighting friendship’s depth and impact—from exile to love, cultural change to resilience. Read the book list: https://bit.ly/10-arab-novels-celebrating-the-power-of-friendship #TMR54 #Friendship #BookList

The Markaz Review welcomes Lebanese-Jordanian author Amal Ghandour. Her biweekly column, “This Arab Life,” continues with “Respite: Lull As Life,” reflecting on endurance amid Arab world turbulence. 🔗 Read more: https://bit.ly/respite-lull-as-life #TheMarkazReview #AmalGhandour #NewColumn

📚 [LE BOOK CLUB] Discutez "L'Éden à l’aube" avec Karim Kattan en ligne! Inscrivez-vous gratuitement. Join our French book club online to discuss “L’Éden à l’aube” with Karim Kattan! 🔗RSVP: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/-WzGvrHAQN2wxYoW-jOJmQ #TheMarkazReview #LeBookClub #FrenchLit

📰 [TMR WEEKLY] Explore music as resilience, truth as revolution, and Armenian film memory in our latest features. Read more: https://bit.ly/weekly-latest-articles #TMRweekly #Music #Film #Essay

TMR 54 FRIENDSHIP is live! Peek at the art, essays, and stories exploring friendship’s meaning. 🔗 bit.ly/tmr-54-frien... #TheMarkazReview #TMR54 #Friendship #NewIssue #Art #SWANAliterature #Translations #Essays

📰 [TMR WEEKLY] New essays on Indigenous turns, making art under genocide, Palestine’s longer history, and a critical look at Trump’s peace plan. Read more: https://bit.ly/weekly-latest-articles #TMRweekly #Essay #Column #Palestine #Art #Politics

📚 [TMR BOOK CLUB] Join Rana Asfour to discuss “Harraga” by Boualem Sansal (tr. Frank Wynne) and the journeys of resistance and exile in Algeria on Sunday, October 26th at 1pm EST. 🔗 Sign up to participate: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/ImeC2XPFRDGzplOuasavoA#/registration#/registration #TMRBookClub

From Beirut to Gaza, revolution to memory, The Markaz Review has spent the last 5 years publishing SWANA writers and artists. We believe that freedom of expression is a fundamental right. 📖 Get your copy now: bit.ly/the-best-of-... #TheMarkazReview #TMR5Years #PrintEdition #NewBook

Christina Adranly’s essay “You Want Your Friends to See Who You Really Are” delves into identity, authenticity, and the intricacies of friendship today. 🔗 Read more: bit.ly/you-want-you... #TheMarkazReview #TMR54 #Friendship #CenterpieceEssay