Iran’s city of lies – Extraordinary stories of love, sex and death in Tehran
The Islamic Republic of Iran stumbled into 2018 making headlines around the world. Thousands of citizens have taken to the streets in recent weeks to protest the country’s staggering economy,...
View Article10 badass Middle Eastern women you need to know about on International...
To celebrate International Women’s Day, we’ve put together this list of 10 Middle Eastern women who are breaking barriers, shattering stereotypes and standing up for what they believe in. Prepare to be...
View ArticleFarewell, Damascus: On the Road to Freedom
By Katie Holland As Ghada Samman’s headstrong heroine Zain discovers, winning her right to live as a free, independent woman entails answering to her own moral compass, fending off constant unsolicited...
View ArticleLeïla Slimani’s Lullaby: A Post-feminist Wakeup Call
By Katie Holland In an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle, French–Moroccan author Leïla Slimani admitted using the grisly subject matter of her novel Lullaby — the murder of two children at the...
View ArticleThe Middle East in London: November events calendar
If you’re based in London, there are plenty of Middle East-focused events going on throughout November to keep you busy! Top picks: Levison Wood’s speaking tour on 11th – I caught his talk in...
View ArticlePink Jinn’s Middle East and North Africa Inspired Christmas List
With Christmas just around the corner, we thought we’d put together a Wishlist for Arabic students / anyone interested in the Middle East! We’ve got the perfect selection of stocking fillers from, or...
View ArticleFreedom Is an Inside Job: Iraqi Activist Zainab Salbi on how to heal the world
Zainab Salbi is an Iraqi humanitarian, author and activist who founded Women for Women International – a not-for-profit organisation supporting women in conflict-afflicted areas. Growing up in Baghdad,...
View ArticleRevolution for Dummies: The Egyptian heart surgeon exiled for making jokes
Bassem Youssef, a heart surgeon living with his wife and baby daughter in Cairo, was one of millions of Egyptians whose lives were changed forever by the Arab Spring. His story, however, is unique....
View ArticleHoney & Co.: A colourful cookbook of food from the Middle East
Honey & Co: Middle Eastern Recipes from Our Kitchen is a cookbook with a colourful narrative, filled with stories of travels in the Middle East and delicious recipes that will make your mouth water.
View Article7 essential resources for Arabic students
Arabic is one of the most difficult languages in the world to learn, but with a little bit of help from these 7 awesome resources you’ll be well on your way in no time. Whether you’re learning Modern...
View ArticleREADING LIST | 10 books to help you understand Yemen
Yemen: The poorest country in the Middle East; The corner of the Arabian Peninsula widely ignored as the oil monarchies of the Gulf rose to riches and global prominence; And now, embroiled in a deadly...
View ArticleCoffee and Conflict in Yemen: The Monk of Mokha
The Monk of Mokha by Dave Eggers tells the encapsulating story of Mokhtar Alkhanshali, a Yemeni-American who travels to Yemen to start a social enterprise to reignite the ancient art of Yemeni coffee....
View Article3 ethical food projects helping victims of conflict in the Middle East
Food is one of the best ways to break down cultural boundaries. Relationships are built over a shared meal or a cup of coffee, regardless of one’s background, ethnicity, class or religion. It’s the...
View ArticleCovid-19 – Pink Jinn’s top 6 tips for social-distancing
With the outbreak of Corona virus causing havoc around the world, we want to send our thoughts and best wishes to our community at this difficult and confusing time. If you’re staying home at the...
View ArticleREADING LIST | 3 books to help you understand Oman
Oman hit the headlines recently after the passing of the country’s ruler of 49 years, Sultan Qaboos Al Said, in January 2020. These three books constitute an essential reading list for anyone with an...
View ArticleREADING LIST | 19 books to help you understand Iraq
This is a list of essential books to read if you’re looking to gain a deeper, more nuanced understanding of Iraq – featuring a combination of both non-fiction and fiction written by a mixture of Iraqi...
View ArticleClik here to view.
10 badass Middle Eastern women you need to know about on International...
[mailchimp_subscriber_popup baseUrl=’mc.us15.list-manage.com’ uuid=’6296a124f77921a3bf8c9d91e’ lid=’38f2b334c7′ usePlainJson=’true’ isDebug=’false’]To celebrate International Women’s Day, we’ve put...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Top 10 Middle East books of 2020
While many things ground to a halt for much of 2020, the publishing industry – thankfully – was not one of them! This year saw a number of brilliant new books published focusing on the Middle East,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
READING LIST | 13 essential books to help you understand Palestine
The issue of Palestine is hugely contentious and highly controversial, and debates on the subject tend to be heavily polarised and heated. For that reason, it can be difficult to engage with the issue...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Our Women on the Ground ed. by Zahra Hankir: A Review
Have you ever noticed that most of the journalists covering the Middle East and North Africa are… well… not from the Middle East and North Africa? Lebanese journalist, editor, and author Zahra Hankir...
View Article