Football and Arabic literature haven’t always had an easy relationship. Football has inspired famous authors like Mahmoud Darwish, and anonymous fans who have composed powerful stadium chants. But the sport is sometimes looked down on by writers. We celebrate the sport and its chroniclers, featured in the FOOTBALL-themed fall 2021 issue of ArabLit Quarterly.

SHOW NOTES

Today, we talk our way through the Fall 2021 issue of ArabLit Quarterly, which is all about literature and football. We open with a chant from the Casablanca team RAJA, “Fi bladi delmouni,” or “I Was Wronged in My Own Country,” in the original and then translated by Hicham Rafik.

For more background, read Aida Alami’s “The Soccer Politics of Morocco,” in The New York Review of Books.

We go out on the Ultras Ahlawy chant “Hekayetna,” or “Our Story,” translated by Mina Ibrahim.

We also talk about Mina Ibrahim’s moving essay “Egyptian Football’s Missing Archives.”

Mid-way, we read from Syrian author Luqman Derky’s “Knocking on Blue Freedom’s Door,” translated by Daniel Behar.

You can find the issue at arablit.org/store

Football and Arabic literature haven&rsquo;t always had an easy relationship. Football has inspired famous authors like Mahmoud Darwish, and anonymous fans who have composed powerful stadium chants. But the sport is sometimes looked down on by writers. We celebrate the sport and its chroniclers, featured in the FOOTBALL-themed fall 2021 issue of ArabLit Quarterly.
SHOW NOTES
Today, we talk our way through the Fall 2021 issue of ArabLit Quarterly, which is all about literature and football. We open with a chant from the Casablanca team RAJA, &ldquo;Fi bladi delmouni,&rdquo; or &ldquo;I Was Wronged in My Own Country,&rdquo; in the original and then translated by Hicham Rafik.
For more background, read Aida Alami&rsquo;s &ldquo;<a href="https://www.nybooks.com/daily/2018/12/20/the-soccer-politics-of-morocco/">The Soccer Politics of Morocco</a>,&rdquo; in The New York Review of Books.
We go out on the Ultras Ahlawy chant &ldquo;Hekayetna,&rdquo; or &ldquo;Our Story,&rdquo; translated by Mina Ibrahim.
We also talk about Mina Ibrahim&rsquo;s moving essay &ldquo;Egyptian Football&rsquo;s Missing Archives.&rdquo;
Mid-way, we read from Syrian author Luqman Derky&rsquo;s &ldquo;Knocking on Blue Freedom&rsquo;s Door,&rdquo; translated by Daniel Behar.
You can find the issue at arablit.org/store

BULAQ is a book-centric podcast co-hosted by Ursula Lindsey (in Amman, Jordan) and M Lynx Qualey (in Rabat, Morocco). It focuses on Arabic literature in translation and is named after the first printing press established in Egypt in 1820. Produced by Sowt.

BULAQ is a book-centric podcast co-hosted by Ursula Lindsey (in Amman, Jordan) and M Lynx Qualey (in Rabat, Morocco). It focuses on Arabic literature in translation and is named after the first printing press established in Egypt in 1820. Produced by Sowt.

BULAQ | بولاق

BULAQ is a podcast about contemporary writing from and about the Middle East and North Africa. We talk about books written in Aleppo, Cairo, Marrakech and beyond. We look at the Arab region through the lens of literature, and we look at literature -- what it does, why it matters, how it relates to society and history and politics -- from the point of view of this part of the world.  BULAQ is co-produced by ArabLit and The Arabist and is hosted by Ursula Lindsey and M Lynx Qualey.

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