Here are some books that will form part of our reading in January:
Johka
AlHarthi, Celestial Bodies (Oman)
Radwa Ashour, The Woman from Tantoura (Egypt/ Palestine)
Malika Moustadref, Something Strange Like Hunger (collection of short stories, whole collection please) (Morocco)
Sinan Antoon, The Baghdad Eucharist (Iraq)
You might also wish to read a little about the history of the Middle East. There are numerous histories, but I find Eugene Rogan's, The Arabs, A History very readable and thorough. It's a good overview. Many others are in the library if it's not to your taste.
If you haven't had a chance to read Edward Said's Orientalism, this would be excellent preparation also.
Costs:
Unfortunately, books in translation are often printed in short runs and cost a little more than other books. They are rarely available second-hand. There should be a copy of each key text in the library, and they do try to get e-books, which multiple readers can access at once. Expect to pay £8-15 for each text.
