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Books

How Syria’s Revolution Was Misunderstood, by Its Rulers and the World

A Country Misread

Syria’s revolution was first crushed, and then misread. Five recent books on the long uprising and its surprising aftermath show how elites, ideologues and foreign observers alike failed to see the people at its heart.

Inside Beirut’s Fight To Save Its Reading Culture

Beirut’s Vanishing Bookshops

Lebanon’s bookshops once thrived as hubs of debate and dissent, but economic collapse, censorship and war have gutted Beirut’s literary scene. Still, readers, publishers and book cafes find inventive ways to resist and revive the culture of reading.

Who You’re Reading When You’re Reading Arab Women

Who You’re Reading When You’re Reading Arab Women

Everything from our expectations and background, to social mediators like teachers, critics, and influencers, and even the book's cover design can subtly change how we read a book in translation.