More and more Arab women are speaking out, voicing their experiences, beliefs and hopes and breaking the silence that once permeated the air. “Arab Women Voice New Realities,” an inclusive book with 31 contributors, shines the spotlight on living, breathing stories of women. Whether they are making promises and confessions, coming to terms with traumatic pasts, negotiating complex present realities or imagining alternative liberating futures, the book has served as a platform to share what’s on their minds.
This collection of stories, co-edited by Dima (Deema) Nasser and Roseanne Saad Khalaf and published by Turning Point Books, attempts to bridge the gap among women writers. And whether they are experienced writers or just starting to spread their literary wings, the book uncovers each woman’s distinct experiences. Ultimately, it offers a platform for voice and visibility to the new Arab woman, whichever part of the extensive region she’s from.
The co-authors have helped ensure the stories, which can be described as records, will never be told in the same way again. Khalaf is an Associate Professor of Creative Writing at the American University of Beirut and the founding coordinator of the Creative Writing Program in the Department of English. She is the author and editor of numerous articles and eight books, including “Once Upon a Time in Lebanon” and “Hikayat: Short Stories by Lebanese Women.” Nasser is a PhD candidate in the Department of Comparative Literature at Brown University. Some of her achievements include editing Desmond Astley-Cooper’s debut novel, “In the Time of the Mulberry,” and publishing an academic article in “Kohl: A Journal for Body and Gender Research.”
Contributors:
Zena El-Khalil, Inaam Kachahi, Adania Shibli, Amany Al-Sayyed, Aisha Isam, Irada Al-Jubouri, Hanan Al-Shaykh, Raya Hajj, Youmna Bou Hadir, Shahd Al-Shammari, Fatima Mahmoud, Fatima Bdeir, Huda Al-Attas, Gabi Toufiq, Zeinab Al-Tahan, Mishka Mojabber-Mourani, Nisreen Sinjab, Reem Rashash-Shaaban, Yasmina Hatem, Nadia Tabbara, Sima Qunsol, Cyrene Bader, Zeina Abi Assy, Hind Shoufani, Rima Rantisi, Zaina Erhaim, Hafsa Bouheddou, Yasmine Haj, Rula Baalbaki, Michelle Hartman and Amahl Khouri
