Beirut Arabic Book Exhibition Oddities
Some recent purchases at the Beirut Arabic Book Exhibition, December 2011:
Bayn Arshin (Between Thrones),
by Farida Yusif ‘Attiyeh, published by Najah Press, Tripoli (Lebanon) 1912.
بين عرشين - فريدة يوسف عطية
As the cover notes, this is a riwayya (narrative/“novel”) set in the Ottoman constitutional revolution, a fictional narrative that conveys anti-Hamidian sentiments through a romantic story. I will update this synopsis once I have read the book.
Farida ‘Attiyeh (1867-1917) was from Tripoli, Lebanon. In addition to teaching, she published articles in a variety of Lebanese periodicals, as well as participating in literary/cultural societies and organizations in Tripoli. Her husband, Matta ‘Attiyeh was also an author of some note.
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Kitab al-Alfadh al-Kitabiyya, (The Book of Written Expressions) by ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Hamadhani,
published by Universite Saint Joseph, Beirut, 1911 (8th edition).
This nahdawi edition of a classical work on rhetoric and style seems to have been published by USJ for use as a student textbook for Arabic. The copy I found is -- as apparent from the photo -- rather worn on the cover, but is in fair shape otherwise. Not a thrilling read but interesting as an example of the use of classical Arabic texts in modern educational settings during the nadha period. It seems the first edition of this work dates to 1886.
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Al-Sufqa (“The Deal” 1956?) and ‘Usfur min al-Sharq (“Bird from the East” 196?)
both by Tawfiq al-Hakim, published by Maktabat al-Adab.
These are rather later than my usual interest -- one a play by al-Hakim, the other his well-read ficto-autobiographical romance about an Egyptian student who falls in love with a French woman while studying in France. I picked them up only because they were both from the same series and both are in good condition (‘Usfur min al-Sharq’s pages have not even been cut!) While not all too enamored by al-Hakim, these are both prime examples of his contributions to modernist Arabic literature. I believe this edition of al-Sufqa may be a first edition.
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