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In this Issue  From the Publisher Interlink e-Books Just In: A Novel by Rafik Schami New in Paperback Awards and Press: Why Touch Should Win the BTBA Middle East Update Useful Links  View our Middle East Collection Download our Middle East Catalog Forward to a Friend
		From the Publisher March Issue Long before the seismic shifts started reverberating throughout the Arab world and long before the plight of the people of Egypt, Yemen, Libya and elsewhere caught mainstream media’s attention, we at Interlink were at the forefront of publishing books that opened people’s eyes, encouraged critical thinking and informed debate, and analyzed the damage of US foreign policy in the Middle East. In addition to politically relevant nonfiction titles, we published the very first English translation of a Yemeni novelist (The Hostage), the first translation of Libya’s leading novelist (The Bleeding of the Stone), and the first major Egyptian novel that was banned for exposing social injustice and government corruption (War in the Land of Egypt). But recently, inspired by the current uprisings, the staff at Interlink unleashed their own uprising of sorts. They demanded e-books! While I am pleased that they did not call for my ouster, they made it clear that the time has come to convert our books so they can be read on e-book devices. And, of course, fearful that my fate might end up like that of Mubarak, or Ben Ali, or Qaddafi, I happily caved in agreed to launch digital editions of our books. Michel Moushabeck Publisher
		Interlink Goes Digital Some of Our Titles are Now Available as e-Books While we here at Interlink appreciate the value of a physical book that you can see, smell, touch, and share with your friends, we also understand the growing popularity of e-books. Of course, the idea of carrying hundreds or even thousands of books on one small device is appealing, especially for those of us who travel frequently. So for all of you with ebook readers, now you can add Interlink books to your e-collections throughGoogle Books and Amazon Kindle Store (this list is continually expanding, so watch this space!) And for those of you who prefer reading "the old fashioned way," we will happily continue to bring you the most interesting writing from around the world in book form.   Interlink e-Books on Google >> Interlink e-Books for Amazon Kindle >> Highlighted e-Books The Traveller's Histories Interlink World Fiction Series
		"Timely and Timeless at Once" Rafik Schami's Story of Ancient Customs Yielding to Modern Turmoil  Damascus Nights Rafik Schami; translated by Philip Boehm A REISSUE OF RAFIK SCHAMI'S AWARD-WINNING NOVEL "This wonderful book is enlightening and endearing, witty and wise. Salim the coachman tells enchanting tales, but suddenly he is struck dumb. Just as Scheherazade told tales to save her life, Salim's friends must spin yarns to save his speech. Set in Damascus in 1959, the novel alternates the real lives of our storytellers with stories from the distant past. These are neither fables nor fairy tales with everlasting, happy endings, and they often require readers to suspend their disbelief. Each chapter is preceded by a one-line hint of what is to come, such as 'How one person's true story was not believed, whereas his most blatant lie was.' The author, who is a professional storyteller in Germany, has written a book appropriate for both adults and young adults. It is also a terrific book to read aloud. Highly recommended for all fiction collections." —Library Journal "Timely and timeless at once." —Malcolm Bradbury, The New York Times Book Review "A picturesque collection of tales... wonderfully contemporary." —Richard Eder, Los Angeles Times Book Review "A highly atmospheric, pungent narrative." —Publishers Weekly Read an Excerpt >> Also by Rafik Schami The Dark Side of Love The Calligrapher's Secret
		New in Paperback A Revised and Updated Edition of The Iraqi Cookbook  The Iraqi Cookbook Lamees Ibrahim; photography by Terry McCormick "With the easygoing style of a casual home cook, Ibrahim describes her dishes and ingredients in an appealingly narrative manner, encouraging a relaxed approach to preparation while explaining the customs and rites of Iraqi eating. Fresh and simple, Ibrahim’s cookbook is a welcome addition for those interested in exploring an intriguing cuisine through its most authentic flavors" —Publishers Weekly "Just two months ago, Interlink Publishing (one of the best, and most serious purveyors of international cookbooks) came out with The Iraqi Cookbook by Lamees Ibrahim, a Baghdad native who now lives in London. The book is chock-full of recipes--19 recipes for rice alone, and 15 for pickles... It's a fascinating book to page through, and most recipes are so straightforward that they will not even require a trip to the Middle Eastern market..."—The Village Voice Excerpt & Sample Recipes >> More Great Cookbooks Available in Paperback Cardamom & Lime: Recipes from the Arabian Gulf Mezze Modern: Over 90 Delicious Appetizers... The Ottoman Kitchen: Modern Recipes... The Middle Eastern Cookbook
		Why this Book Should Win the BTBA Interlink Editor Hilary Plum Writes About Touch, Recently Longlisted for a BTBA Our own Hilary Plum, Interlink editor and co-director of Clookroot Books, wrote the following piece for a series of articles presented by Three Percent. Each of the articles features one of the 25 titles longlisted for the Best Translated Book Awards, and why they should win. Hilary writes for Touch by Adania Shibli, translated by Paula Haydar. Touch [Why this Book Should Win the BTBA] Hilary Plum (Article on Three Percent) "... All publishers know: when the world calls for hype, you hype. But how do we get the taste of all this hype out of our mouths, how do we get to talk again about literature, about falling in love? And—because, after all, our own feelings should not be that important—how do we shield our writers from all this hype, all this world? How do we hold a space open for Adania and her writing in English translation, under the weight of such labels as “the new generation of Palestinian writers,” a “Palestinian woman writer” (picture here all the tired stereotypes of “Muslim women speaking out,” that sort of thing—these will be lingering in the shadows, in the US of 2011 we can’t be free of them, they’re there). Let’s try to answer all these questions at once, forTouch. Because the answer isn’t so hard— Touch holds open its own space, and luminously..."  Read the Article >> Related Titles Touch Adania Shibli; trans. by Paula Haydar Specters Radwa Ashour; trans. by Barbara Romaine Almond Blossoms & Beyond Mahmoud Darwish; trans. by M. Shaheen
		Middle East Update North Africa and Beyond Libya and Beyond Article by Phyllis Bennis Originally published in AlterNet Following successful revolutionary uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt, Libya's dictator tries to hole on to power by using force as the entire Middle East braces for more change. Read the Article >> Phyllis Bennis is a fellow of the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington, D.C. and the Transnational Institute in Amsterdam. She is a long-time analyst of U.S. policy in the Middle East, particularly regarding the Iraq war and Israel-Palestine conflict.Click here to view books by Phyllis Bennis. The Owl's Cry By Anouar Majid Article originally published by Tingis Redux "... Do North Africans and people of the Middle East, in general, have an indigenous voice to guide them in their search for a workable formula for good governance—whatever they may choose to call the political system they end up adopting?  Do they have a Founding Father, like the Americans Thomas Jefferson or Abraham Lincoln, to show them the way to a just political system, with freedom and equal opportunity for all?  You bet they do. No voice in the world right now can be more powerful and useful in guiding Arabs, Muslims, and—why not?—Americans in their pursuit of freedom than the 14th-century Muslim scholar Abderrahman Ibn Khaldun, not unreasonably described as the father of all the social and economic sciences..." Read the Article >> Anouar Majid is the author of Si Yussef and the editor of Tingis Redux. He was born in Tangier in 1960. He Further Reading A Traveller's History of North Africa The Bleeding of the Stone Ibrahim al-Koni; trans. by M. Jayyusi & C. Tingley Challenging Empire Sardines & Oranges: Short Stories from North Africa
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