HIKAYAT: SHORT STORIES BY LEBANESE WOMEN; ED. BY ROSEANNE SAAD KHALAF

From Lebanon's golden age, through years of civil conflict and its aftermath, these women offer a captivating portrait of a country in flux. Well-known authors such as Emily Nasarallah, Hanan al-Shaykh and Alawiya Sobh, alongside newer voices, share he desire to push boundaries, tackling subjects from the crippling effects of war in past decades, through longing for romantic adventures in a conservative society, to the functioning of families across the divides of emigration and generational conflict. The characters in these stories are on the brink of something - whether it be religious or social divides, or sexual awakening. The language reflects the great tension, and the great beauty in their transformation. And the collection as a whole reveals the rich diversity of the complex multi-cultural society out of which these stories have emerged. 'In turn lyrical, sensuous, comic and ironic ... rare and fascinating ...' Independent 'Some truly insightful, engaging work ...' New Statesman This anthology of Lebanese women fiction writers offers a captivating mix of stories by published authors with established reputations, such as Emily Nasrallah, Hanan Sheikh and Alaweeya Sobh, alongside the narratives of younger women whose voices explore new terrain. Although each of the contributors differ in personality, style and creative purpose, tackling subjects from the crippling effects of the civil war in past decades, through longing for romantic adventures in a conservative society, to the functioning of families across the divides of emigration and generational conflict. When viewed together these voices reflect the rich diversity of the complex multi-cultural society out of which they emerged. Roseanne Saad Khalaf is Assistant Professor of English and Creative Writing at the American University of Beirut. She was brought up in Lebanon by an American mother and a Lebanese father. From 1984 to 1995 she lived in Princeton and New York, where she worked as a consultant and part-time stage mom when her nine-year old son Ramzi began an acting career on Broadway. She now lives in Lebanon with her husband, Samir. Her publications include Once Upon a Time in Lebanon, Lebanon: Four Journeys to the Past, Themes and Transit Beirut: New Writing and Images . "The characters in these stories are on the brink of something - whether it be religious or social divides, or sexual awakening. The language reflects the great tension, and the great beauty in their transformation. And the collection as a whole reveals the rich diversity of the complex multi-cultural society out of which these stories have emerged."--Jacket An anthology of Lebanese women fiction writers, this title offers a mix of stories by published authors with established reputations, such as Emily Nasrallah, Hanan Sheikh, and Alaweeya Sobh, alongside the narratives of younger women whose voices explore new terrain. These voices reflect the rich diversity of a complex multi-cultural society. From Lebanon's golden age, through years of civil conflict and its aftermath, this book offers a portrait of a country in flux.

introducing Exceptional New Literary Voices From Lebanon.