The Markaz Review

07/08/2025

The Markaz Review published an article on July 4, 2025, titled Syria and the Future of Art: An Intimate Portrait, by art writer Arie Amaya-Akkermans.

The article is available via the link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9uvhvs

The Markaz Review

نشرت «مجلة المركز» مقالاً في 4 تموز يوليو 2025 باللغة الانكليزية، بعنوان "سوريا ومستقبل الفن: صورة حميمة"، بقلم الكاتب الفني آري أمايا-أكرمانس.

لقراءة النص كاملاً باللغة الانكليزية عبر الرابط أعلاه.

07/08/2025

Today we salute Ghassan Kanafani, writer & freedom fighter who was assassinated by the Israeli Mossad at the age of 36.
Kanafani served as the Popular Front for Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) group's spokesman and the editor of its weekly magazine, Al-Hadaf. He was killed in a car bomb outside his home in Beirut, alongside his 17 year-old-niece Lamees Najim.
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Kanafani most eloquently & poignantly embodied the power of the pen toward Palestinian liberation & right of return.
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We hope you'll join us as we continue to uplift Palestinian writers, journalists, & artists.
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07/08/2025

📚✨ À paraître dans la collection DiversLitt Séries – Zones franches : La rue entre nous, un roman bouleversant de Nassira Belloula, écrivaine algéro-canadienne.

Dans ce texte d’une intensité rare, une femme endeuillée et isolée, arpente les rues d’une ville étrangère, chargée du poids de la perte et du silence. Sa marche devient mémoire, sa douleur devient langage. Chaque page, portée par la plume précise et impitoyable de Belloula, ouvre une brèche dans nos certitudes, et donne voix à celles que l’on n’entend jamais.

🔥 La rue entre nous : un roman-coup de poing, un cri d’amour et de rage à découvrir très bientôt.

Restez à l’affût.

07/08/2025

"We live in an era in which there is too much information but not enough knowledge, and even less wisdom. This excess of information makes us arrogant and then it makes us numb. We must change this ratio and focus more on knowledge and wisdom. For knowledge we need books, slow journalism, podcasts, in-depth analyses and cultural events. And for wisdom, among other things, we need the art of storytelling. We need the long form."

Writer Elif Shafak on why we still need novels

Pic: Elif Şafak / Elif Shafak photographed by Pål Hansen.

Elif Shafak Books: https://amzn.to/4j82YOo

07/08/2025

07/08/2025

في قصة قصيرة شاعرية، تكتب إيمان اليوسف عن رجل ينتقم من معذبيه بعد سنوات من غيابهم.

يمكنكم قراءة القصة كاملة عن طريق الرابط التالي:
https://themarkaz.org/tathgha/

#تثغى

في قصة قصيرة شاعرية، تكتب إيمان اليوسف عن رجل ينتقم من معذبيه بعد سنوات من غيابهم.

07/07/2025

🎙️ NEW PODCAST EPISODE | Writing Across Borders & Identities 🌍✍️

What happens when multilingualism, queerness, translation, and generational divides meet on the page—and in real life?

The Markaz Review hosted a powerful roundtable with:

📍 MK Harb (Beirut)
📍 Nektaria Anastasiadou (Istanbul)
📍 Qais Akbar Omar (Kabul)
🎧 Moderated by literary editor Malu Halasa

Together, they dive into:
💬 The politics of language
📚 What makes a short story unforgettable
🌀 Navigating identity and localism in a Western publishing world

🔥 A must-listen for readers, writers & literary rebels everywhere.

🎧 LINK: https://bit.ly/the-markaz-review-podcasts

Radio Tabbouli is The Markaz Review's podcast for discovering cultural news and meeting artists, writers, filmmakers, actors, academics, musicians and other personalities from the Middle East, North Africa and its diasporas.

07/06/2025

في قصته القصيرة الصادرة حديثًا، يضيف وجدي الكومي إلى عالمنا الواقعي تفصيلة خيالية دينية، لكن هل سيغير الظهور غير المتوقع لأحد الأنبياء أي شيء؟

يمكنكم قراءة القصة كاملة عن طريق الرابط التالي:
https://themarkaz.org/sayedalfolk/

في قصته القصيرة الصادرة حديثًا، يضيف وجدي الكومي إلى عالمنا الواقعي تفصيلة خيالية دينية، لكن هل سيغير الظهور غير المتوقع لأحد الأنبياء أي شيء؟نُشرت «نظر طلب لجوء ل....

07/05/2025

📚✨ You Believe in Words. So Do We.

At TMR, we publish bold, border-crossing literature and fearless reviews that uplift unheard voices and disrupt the status quo.

But here’s the truth: we can’t do it without you.

✅ Join our community of readers, writers, and changemakers.
✅ Support independent literature that dares to speak.
✅ Access exclusive content, early releases, and member-only events.

🌍 Every membership helps us pay writers, amplify marginalized voices, and keep our site free and accessible to all.

Help us keep publishing bold voices—become a member today: https://bit.ly/tmr-membership-subscription

Artwork: https://jalal-sepehr.com/portfolio/red-zone/

07/05/2025

Mothers in Gaza dead or too malnourished to feed their own babies--and Israel isn't allowing in baby formula? WAR CRIMINALS.

Doctors say Israel is blocking deliveries of formula urgently needed as mothers are either dead or too malnourished to feed their babies

07/04/2025

FREEDOM TO READ — The Markaz Review’s Summer Double Issue — is live.

In an age of banned books and broken silences, what does it really mean to claim the freedom to read? Our latest issue spans continents, languages, and generations to bring you a chorus of bold, unflinching voices.

Inside you'll find fiction, essays, memoir, and poetry that defy censorship, celebrate expression, and remind us why stories matter — especially the ones someone doesn’t want you to read.

Featured Writers:

Manar Al Saif, Rana Al Soufi, Taqwa Ahmed Al-Wawi, Rana Asfour, Marie Bamyani, Hassan Blasim, Hassan Abdulrazzak. Eman El Youssef, Yasmina Jraissati, Nahla Karam, Nada Faris, Elias Khoury, Yahia Lababidi, Khadija Marouazi, Hayel al-Mathabi, Meriam Othamn, Ilan Pappé, Elias Khoury, Gabriel Polley, Eman Quotah, Sarah Shaheen, Lina Mounzer, Thoth, Francesca Vawdred, Lara Vergnaud, Fadi Zaghmout, Malu Halasa, Aerie Amaya-Akkermans, Alireza Iranmehr and Salar Abdoh

👉 Tap the link in bio or visit themarkaz.org to read the full issue now:
🔗 https://bit.ly/tmr-52-freedom-to-read

📖 Your freedom to read begins with what you choose to click.

Cover Art: Tammam Azzam "New York" from the Bon Voyage Series, 2013 (courtesy Ayyam Gallery Dubai)