Ehkili | Books & Literature from the Arab World

Author Sara Hamdan discusses her journey to becoming a published writer and the nuanced storytelling behind her book, "What Will People Think?" from its unexpected appearance on Jimmy Fallon's Book Club shortlist to navigating the complexities of Palestinian heritage in her work. Hamdan delves into the importance of collaboration in creative fields, the value of allowing one's work time "to breathe", and her perspective on choosing to write a basic Palestinian love story that's loaded with humor. 
 
0:00 Introduction
2:16 The Opaque Publishing Industry
3:07 Life as an Author & the Overall Big Dream
3:38 From Finance to Creative Pursuit
4:37 The Power of Authorial Validation
5:20 The Value of Creative Courses and Collaboration
6:53 The Scientific Nature of Comedy Writing
7:45 The Unexpected Love Story
9:03 The Appeal of "What Will People Think?"
10:59 Packaging a Romantic Comedy with Depth
12:00 A Palestinian Narrative
12:42 The Elevator Pitch for the Book
14:34 The Evolution of the Story
16:18 Learning from Past Works
19:36 Developing an Instinct for Storytelling
21:34 Empowering Storytellers in the Region
24:49 Commercial vs. Creative Support
26:57 The Organic Creative Scene in Lebanon
28:00 Empowering the Next Generation of Authors
29:19 Literary Crushes
31:24 The Allure of Scripts and Screenwriting
32:51 The Blueprint for Screen Adaptation
34:08 The Surreal Jimmy Fallon Announcement
37:45 Navigating Media Narratives and Empathy
40:07 Joy as a Basic Human Right
40:28 Communicating with Nuance Amidst Infuriation
43:40 Hustle Culture and Sustainable Creativity
47:23 Meditation as a Superpower
48:02 Book Recommendations
 
Sara Hamdan is a Palestinian journalist and editor raised in Greece and currently living in Dubai. After graduating from the University of California, Berkeley, she pursued a career in finance and worked as a banker at Merrill Lynch. She eventually transitioned to a career in media after getting a master's degree in journalism at Columbia University. She worked as a business and culture reporter for The New York Times based in Dubai before becoming an editor-in-chief at Google. In her free time, Sara also pursued her love of creative writing and won a Netflix short story award. Encouraged by the win, she completed her debut novel featuring the same central character: a female Arab-American stand-up comedian. Sara now regularly moderates high level conferences and hosts podcasts. 
Connect with Sara Hamdan 👉 https://instagram.com/bysarahamdan
 
Hosted by Mikey Muhanna 👉 https://instagram.com/mikey_mu
 
Theme music: Peninsular, Tarek Yamani 🔊 
https://spoti.fi/47I59ns

FOLLOW & RATE THE EHKILI PODCAST:
» Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/afikra-book-club/id1646400790
» Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4khpLDZ77PINLupT7xEIv7
» Anghami: https://play.anghami.com/podcast/1044638525

THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK
Explore all episodes in this series: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfYG40bwRKl5xaTkBDrUKLCulvoCE8ubX&feature=shared

ABOUT AFIKRA
afikra | عفكرة is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region – past, present and future – through conversations driven by curiosity.
📍 Local events in 40+ locations worldwide http://afikra.com/chapters
🎧 New podcasts + videos weekly http://afikra.com/podcasts
⚡ Become a member: https://www.afikra.com/membership
🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afikra_
🔗 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/afikra.official
🔗 Twitter: https://twitter.com/afikra

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The author discussed her multigenerational Palestinian family memoir "The Hollow Half: A Memoir of Bodies and Borders," which spans from mandate Palestine to the present day. Sarah Aziza reflects on her relationship with her Palestinian identity, the complexities of being "half" something, and her lifelong journey with the Arabic language. The conversation also touches upon the impact of the ongoing events in Gaza on her work and the ethical choices she made as a writer navigating a prejudiced industry.
This episode was recorded on July 22, 2025
 
00:00 Introduction
01:34 On Family, Gaza & Personal Pain
04:05 How the Occupation Is Palpable In New York
05:05 The Hollow Half: A Multigenerational Memoir
09:51 The Nakba & Mental Health
13:15 It Is Sane To Go Insane In This World
17:08 Reclaiming Identity: Rejecting The “Half” Narrative
23:23 The Lifelong Journey With Arabic
26:45 Changing the Writing Process After October 7
33:55 Navigating A Capitalist Media System
43:16 Gazan Family Reactions to the Book
49:00 The Temptation of Tokenization
57:25 Reconciling Past & Present Selves
53:19 The Choice Not to Compromise and Long-Term Impact
54:17 Personal Transformation and Honoring Past Selves
56:50 Cosmic Perfectionism and the Exhaustion of Striving 
58:45 The Power and Burden of Love
1:00:38 Where to Find the Book
 
Sarah Aziza is a Palestinian American writer, translator, and artist with roots in ‘Ibdis and Deir al-Balah, Gaza. She is the author of The Hollow Half, a genre-bending work of memoir, lyricism, and oral history exploring the intertwined legacies of diaspora, colonialism, and the American dream. It is available wherever books are sold. Sarah’s award-winning journalism, poetry, essays, and experimental nonfiction have appeared in major international publications. Previously a Fulbright fellow in Jordan, she is the recipient of numerous Pulitzer Center grants for Crisis Reporting, a 2022 resident at Tin House Writer’s Workshop, a Pushcart Prize nominee, and a 2023 Margins Fellow at the Asian American Writers Workshop. 
Connect with Sarah Aziza 👉 https://instagram.com/sarahazizawrites
 
Hosted by Mikey Muhanna
Connect directly with Mikey Muhanna 👉 https://instagram.com/mikey_mu
 
Theme music: Peninsular, Tarek Yamani 🔊 
https://spoti.fi/47I59ns

FOLLOW & RATE THE EHKILI PODCAST:
» Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/afikra-book-club/id1646400790
» Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4khpLDZ77PINLupT7xEIv7
» Anghami: https://play.anghami.com/podcast/1044638525

THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK
Explore all episodes in this series: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfYG40bwRKl5xaTkBDrUKLCulvoCE8ubX&feature=shared

ABOUT AFIKRA
afikra | عفكرة is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region – past, present and future – through conversations driven by curiosity.
📍 Local events in 40+ locations worldwide http://afikra.com/chapters
🎧 New podcasts + videos weekly http://afikra.com/podcasts
⚡ Become a member: https://www.afikra.com/membership
🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afikra_
🔗 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/afikra.official
🔗 Twitter: https://twitter.com/afikra

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Professor of Middle Eastern Studies at Dartmouth College, Jonathan Smolin, discusses his book "The Politics of Melodrama: The Cultural and Political Lives of Ihsan Abdel Kouddous and Gamal Abdel Nasser," which examines the life and work of Ihsan Abdel Quddous who played an immense role in shaping 20th-century Arab culture as a prolific writer, journalist, and political commentator. Smolin details Quddous' life, including his upbringing, the complex relationship with his mother – who was none other than Rose al Yusuf – and his significant influence in Egyptian and Arab society. The conversation also covers Quddous' involvement in the 1952 coup in Egypt, his views on pan-Arabism, his support for women’s liberation, and his mixed legacy, including the controversies and scandals he navigated.
 
00:00 Introduction 
00:41 Who Was Ihsan Abdel Quddous? 
00:57 Ihsan Abdel Quddous's Impact on Arab Culture
04:45 Ihsan Abdel Quddous's Family Background
09:29 Literary Tradition and Writing Style
16:56 Political Involvement and Scandals
29:40 Reflections on Naivety and Regret
32:24 His Arrest and Disillusionment
37:48 The March Crisis and Censorship
41:03 Nasser's Unique Brand of Authoritarianism
44:56 Debates on Women's Rights
53:12 Support for Arab Nationalism
56:13 Exploring Themes of Sex and Romance in Fiction
 
Jonathan Smolin is Professor of Middle Eastern Studies at Dartmouth College, where he also serves as Acting Chair of the Middle Eastern Studies Program and is an affiliate of Jewish Studies. Since joining Dartmouth in 2005, his teaching has focused on the politics and popular cultures of the modern Middle East, with a classroom approach grounded in open dialogue and critical engagement across diverse sources and perspectives. His research explores the intersections of politics, literature, and media in the Arab world. He is the author of "Moroccan Noir: Police, Crime, and Politics in Popular Culture" (Indiana University Press, 2013) and "The Politics of Melodrama: The Cultural and Political Lives of Ihsan Abdel Kouddous and Gamal Abdel Nasser" (Stanford University Press, 2024).
 
Hosted by Mikey Muhanna
Connect directly with Mikey Muhanna 👉 https://instagram.com/mikey_mu
 
Theme music: Peninsular, Tarek Yamani 🔊 
https://spoti.fi/47I59ns

FOLLOW & RATE THE EHKILI PODCAST:
» Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/afikra-book-club/id1646400790
» Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4khpLDZ77PINLupT7xEIv7
» Anghami: https://play.anghami.com/podcast/1044638525

THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK
Explore all episodes in this series: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfYG40bwRKl5xaTkBDrUKLCulvoCE8ubX&feature=shared

ABOUT AFIKRA
afikra | عفكرة is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region – past, present and future – through conversations driven by curiosity.
📍 Local events in 40+ locations worldwide http://afikra.com/chapters
🎧 New podcasts + videos weekly http://afikra.com/podcasts
⚡ Become a member: https://www.afikra.com/membership
🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afikra_
🔗 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/afikra.official
🔗 Twitter: https://twitter.com/afikra

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In this episode of Ehkili, Palestinian writer Selma Dabbagh discusses the influence of her legal background on her storytelling and explores the complexities of her Palestinian identity, particularly in the context of political engagement and activism. The conversation also delves into Dabbagh's novel "Out of It" and her anthology "We Wrote In Symbols: Love and Lust By Arab Women Writers," highlighting the themes of erasure, representation, and self-inquiry through literature. Dabbagh shares her perspectives on the current political climate in the UK, the growing public support for Palestinian rights, and the challenges faced by academics and activists. The episode concludes with a discussion of Dabbagh's forthcoming novel set in 1938 Jerusalem, inspired by the Antonius family.

00:00 Introduction
02:26 The Influence of Law on Writing
05:13 Journey to Becoming a Writer
06:26 Literature as a Route to Self-Inquiry
09:07 Connection to Palestine
12:57 The Story Behind Her Book "Out of It"
20:22 Navigating Representation and Responsibility
25:04 Current Climate in the UK
31:19 Highlighting Palestinian Literature
32:41 Exploring Humor and Personal Narratives
36:28 Introducing "We Wrote In Symbols"
39:50 Historical Context and Women's Voices
46:20 Navigating Repression and Expression
49:23 Upcoming Projects and New Novel
52:29 The Antonius Family and Historical Influence
58:08 Conclusion and Where to Find More

Selma Dabbagh is a British-Palestinian writer and former human rights lawyer based in London. Her acclaimed debut novel "Out of It" and edited anthology "We Wrote In Symbols" highlight contemporary Arab voices. Her work spans fiction, radio, journalism, and academia, with writings featured in Granta, The Guardian, and BBC Radio. She holds a PhD in Creative Writing from Goldsmiths, University of London.

Connect with Selma 👉 https://www.instagram.com/selmadabbagh/

Theme music: Peninsular, Tarek Yamani 🔊 https://spoti.fi/47I59ns

FOLLOW & RATE THE EHKILI PODCAST:
» Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/afikra-book-club/id1646400790
» Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4khpLDZ77PINLupT7xEIv7
» Anghami: https://play.anghami.com/podcast/1044638525

THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK
Explore all episodes in this series: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfYG40bwRKl5xaTkBDrUKLCulvoCE8ubX&feature=shared

ABOUT AFIKRA
afikra | عفكرة is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region – past, present and future – through conversations driven by curiosity.
📍 Local events in 40+ locations worldwide http://afikra.com/chapters
🎧 New podcasts + videos weekly http://afikra.com/podcasts
⚡ Become a member: https://www.afikra.com/membership
🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afikra_
🔗 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/afikra.official
🔗 Twitter: https://twitter.com/afikra

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode of Ehkili, we speak with Reem Khorshid and Faris Bseiso about their literary project Mudun, published by Kaph Books and supported by the Barjeel Art Foundation. They trace the origins of this anthology of short stories about Arab cities, which began as a pandemic project and grew into a collection featuring narratives both in Arabic and English. Highlighting diverse and often underrepresented urban experiences, the co-editors delve into the themes, selection process, and unique visual elements of the book. They reflect on the significance (and often danger) of nostalgia, the representation of city life, and the balance of stories to capture the essence of various cities across the Arab world. Tune in to hear about the compelling stories, standout illustrations, and the insightful reasons behind their editorial decisions.

00:00 Introduction 
01:25 The Genesis of Mudun
05:36 Short Stories and Their Significance
07:35 Architectural and Urban Heritage
17:05 Nostalgia in Urban Narratives
20:43 Illustrations and Their Impact
26:30 Winners and Their Stories
36:55 Misunderstood Arab Cities
46:56 Conclusion and Future Prospects

Reem Khorshid is an architect and researcher holding a bachelor's degree in Architectural Engineering and Technology from Cairo University, Egypt. She previously worked as the lead researcher of ‘Building Sharjah’, a book about modern architecture in Sharjah that documents the emirate’s architecture and urban development. Reem has worked briefly on other research projects in Egypt about Cairo’s modernism and urban Informality. She's been a panelist at the Arab Conference at Harvard. Reem had also spoken at Yale University’s Gulf Architecture Symposium and the 10th Gulf Research Meeting at the University of Cambridge. Her articles have been featured by Egypt’s Mada Masr and the Daily News Egypt.

Connect with Reem 👉 https://www.instagram.com/reemkhorshid/

Faris Bseiso is a Palestinian-Syrian entrepreneur, writer and co-founder and CEO of Cipher Media, a licensing marketplace that supplies music to brands and professional sports teams for social media. In the publishing world, Bseiso most recently was a judge and editor for Mudun, the published anthology that followed the Barjeel Art Foundation's short story competition. As a writer, Bseiso has published bylines with CNN and Bloomberg, and short stories in various regional magazines. Now based in New York, Bseiso is also an ambassador for afikra and a DJ at Arab events in the city.

Connect with Faris 👉 https://www.instagram.com/bseisofaris/

Buy the book from Kaph Books 👉 https://www.kaphbooks.com/books/mudun-short-stories-arab-world/

Read online via Rusted Radishes 👉 https://rustedradishes.com/mudun-short-story-prize/

Explore Barjeel Art Foundation 👉 https://www.barjeelartfoundation.org/

Hosted by:
Mikey Muhanna 👉 https://www.instagram.com/mikey_mu/?hl=en-gb

Theme music: Peninsular, Tarek Yamani 🔊 https://spoti.fi/47I59ns

FOLLOW & RATE THE EHKILI PODCAST:
» Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/afikra-book-club/id1646400790
» Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4khpLDZ77PINLupT7xEIv7
» Anghami: https://play.anghami.com/podcast/1044638525

THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK
Explore all episodes in this series: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfYG40bwRKl5xaTkBDrUKLCulvoCE8ubX&feature=shared

ABOUT AFIKRA
afikra | عفكرة is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region – past, present and future – through conversations driven by curiosity.
📍 Local events in 40+ locations worldwide http://afikra.com/chapters
🎧 New podcasts + videos weekly http://afikra.com/podcasts
⚡ Become a member: https://www.afikra.com/membership
🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afikra_
🔗 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/afikra.official
🔗 Twitter: https://twitter.com/afikra

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.