Al-Diwan brings you the latest news and analysis from the publishing and academic worlds that relate to pedagogy and knowledge production.

Publishing

Denys Johnson-Davies, Translator of Arab Writers, Is Dead ta 94 (New York Times)
William Grimes

Edward Said called Johnson-Davies “the leading Arabic-English translator of our time.” Most notably, he translated works of Mahmoud Darwish, Naguib Mahfouz, and Tayeb Saleh. He passed away on May 22 in Cairo.

Iraqi civil society groups seek to restock Mosul libraries (Al Monitor)
Adnan Abu Zeed

Abu Zeed examines the multinational initiative to rehabilitate Mosul libraries after it and the Islamic State burned its contents in 2015. The international nature of the project has posed some problems, yet those involved are hopeful that it will be successful.

Sharjah Become Third Arab City Names ‘UNESCO World Book Capital’ (Arab Lit)
M. Lynx Qualey

Sharjah joins Alexandria, Egypt and Beirut, Lebanon as another Arab World Book Capital. These cities are selected based upon the work they have done in regards to literacy, and during their year as the World Book Capital, they will host a variety of events to continue to “promote books and reading.”

Writer Ahmed Naji prevented from leaving Egypt (Mada Masr)

Despite having won an appeal against a prison sentence for “violating public modesty” in his novel, Naji is now unable to leave Egypt. This ban has stalled his career because he has no “option to work in [Egypt] anymore.”

Education

Will tuition ruling impede American University of Cairo (Al Monitor)
Amr ElTohamy

The American University of Beirut must now accept tuition payments in Egyptian pounds. When the Egyptian pound was devalued, students shouldered a burden in the form of increased fees.

New Moroccan Protests Call for Fresh Scholarly Approach (Al Fanar)
Ursula Lindsey

Since the beginning of an eight-month long protest movement, a new thought process has been promoted by regional experts. Experts have voiced concern over simply viewing the protests as a manifestation of emotion; rather, they want to look more closely at the networks, leaders, and realities of what is happening on the ground. 

Entry Denied (Inside Higher Ed)
Elizabeth Redden

Dr. George Saad, an assistant professor at the American University of Beirut, intended to present at the American Society of Civil Engineers’ Engineering Mechanics Institute conference in June. However, after landing at LAX, he was denied entry.