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Radio Tabbouli
Who's Who? with the Editors at The Markaz Review - EN
In this first English episode of Radio Tabbouli, the editors of The Markaz Review (TMR) – Jordan Elgrably, Rana Asfour, Lina Mounzer, Malu Halasa and Mohammad Rabie – discuss their own stories, how they became writers, and what brought them to TMR together in Montpellier.
About The Markaz Review editors:
Jordan Elgrably - Editor in Chief & Art Director (Los Angeles/Montpellier)
A Franco-American and Moroccan journalist, editor, and fiction writer whose captivating work has graced prominent platforms in the U.S. and Europe.
Rana Asfour - Managing Editor (Amman/London)
A versatile writer and book reviewer whose literary insights have graced the pages of esteemed publications like The Guardian UK and The National/UAE. Beyond her prowess with the written word, Rana brings a dynamic background, having contributed to the realms of radio and TV in Amman.
Lina Mounzer - Senior Editor (Beirut)
A Lebanese writer and translator, whose literary prowess shines through her contributions to renowned publications such as The New York Times, The Paris Review, Freeman’s, The Washington Post, and The Baffler.
Malu Halasa - Literary Editor (London)
A distinguished London-based writer and editor. In her latest role as an editor, she presents "Woman Life Freedom: Voices and Art From the Women’s Protests in Iran" (Saqi 2023), adding another remarkable entry to her extensive body of work.
Mohammad Rabie - Arabic Editor (Cairo/Berlin)
Berlin-based writer and editor whose literary contributions extend to four novels in Arabic: "Kawkab Anbar," "Year of the Dragon," "Otared," and "History of the Gods of Egypt." The English translation of "Otared" by Robin Moger earned a nomination for the International Prize for Arabic Fiction in 2016.
More episodes
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Forgetting, an episode of Radio Tabbouli, from The Markaz Review
01:05:41|The Markaz Review presents a conversation on our May issue, TMR 41 FORGETTING, around the culture of memory and forgetting in the Arab world with four of the issue’s contributing writers: Mai Al-Nakib, Saleem Haddad, Asmaa Elgamal and Nabil Salih. Hosted and moderated by TMR senior editor Lina Mounzer.Writing Across Boundaries, hosted by Malu Halasa, Literary Editor at The Markaz Review
47:00|Multilingualism, translation, queerness and generational clashes were some of the themes for this roundtable conversation celebrating The Markaz Review’s 2024 summer double literary issue. MK Harb from Beirut, Nektaria Anastasiadou from Istanbul, and Qais Akbar Omar from Kabul joined The Markaz’s literary editor Malu Halasa. They discussed the art of fiction, the universality of localism, and the challenges facing writers from the Middle East and beyond in western-centric publishing. Learn the secrets and techniques behind writing a compelling short story.Public Intellectual, a conversation produced by The Markaz Review
59:32|Highly accomplished writers and public intellectuals Moustafa Bayoumi (from New York) and Hisham Bustani (from Amman) join TMR senior editor Lina Mounzer in Beirut, for a conversation post October 7, 2023.Returning Home, the 50th issue of The Markaz Review (May 2025)
55:19|In the 50th issue of The Markaz Review, RETURNING HOME is a compelling theme in both creative nonfiction and fiction. In “A Kashmiri in Cashmere,” Nafeesa Syeed hopes she’ll feel at home in a small Washington town east of Seattle, named after her native region, caught between India and Pakistan. In “Return to Ramallah,” a brief excerpt from playwright Betty Shamieh’s debut novel Too Soon, the narrator Arabella reflects on going home to the city her Palestinian American parents fled during the Nakba. The complete list of contributors includes Salar Abdoh, Batoul Ahmad, Yasmine Al Awa, Myriam Cohenca, Sophia Didinova, Karina El Helou, Lara Kassem, Ati Metwaly, Mai Al-Nakib, Raha Nik-Andish, Gabriel Polley, Sama Alshaibi, Betty Shamieh, Nafeesa Syeed and Abdallah Taïa.
3. A Year of War: A Conversation on Our Shared Future - EN
01:07:21||Season 1, Ep. 3This special episode of Radio Tabbouli brings you into the conversation we had following the publication of our October ‘24 issue, TMR 45 • FROM HERE ONE YEAR ON with Samina Najmi, Ziad Suidan and Lina Mounzer, with special guest Mona Seif. This discussion was about the year of war that began on October 7, 2023, which has since spread into Lebanon and Yemen, with further hostilities expected between Israel and Iran. TMR senior editor Lina Mounzer spoke with contributing writers Samina Najmi and Ziad Suidan about their pieces in the issue and their creative process. Mona Seif discussed the continued imprisonment in Cairo of her brother Alaa Abd El-Fattah despite finishing his five year sentence.
5. OUM x Festival Arabesques - FR
34:39||Season 1, Ep. 5Pour ce nouveau podcast TMR vous emmène au Festival Arabesques à la rencontre de l’envoûtante chanteuse marocaine OUM, auteure compositrice-interprète, qui nous présente son dernier album best of Dakchi.Nous évoquerons son parcours, son vaste univers aux multiples influences musicales ainsi que sa vision de l’identité et son amour pour le darija le dialecte marocain. EnglishIn this new podcast, TMR takes you to the Arabesques Festival to meet the captivating Moroccan singer-songwriter OUM, who presents her latest best-of album Dakchi.We talk about her career, her vast universe of musical influences, her vision of identity and her love of the Moroccan dialect darija.OUMhttps://oum.ma/https://www.youtube.com/c/OUMOFFICIALFestival Arabesques https://www.festivalarabesques.fr/Animatrice Sarah de The Markaz Review (TMR)Literature and Arts from the Center of the Worldhttps://themarkaz.org/https://linktr.ee/themarkazreview
2. The Markaz Review Book Club Discusses Khaled Khalifa’s “No One Prayed Over Their Graves” - EN
51:11||Season 1, Ep. 2On today’s episode on Radio Tabbouli, we invite you to join the conversation of our October ‘23 Book Club meeting on Khaled Khalifa’s novel, No One Prayed Over Their Graves which explores themes of love, death, and societal change in 19th-century Aleppo. The novel, set against the backdrop of Ottoman and French colonial influences, follows two friends whose lives are altered by a flood. Tune in to hear different perspectives on the novel’s symbolism as well as its exploration of societal traumas.The Markaz Review Book Club is hosted by TMR Managing Editor Rana Asfour. We meet online on the last Sunday of each month to discuss our latest title. Check out what we’re reading next and join our book club at https://www.themarkaz.org/book-club/.
4. Atelier des Artistes en Exil 2024 - FR
27:57||Season 1, Ep. 4Pour ce quatrième podcast Radio Tabbouli, vous emmène aux portes ouvertes de l’atelier des artistes en exil en plein coeur de Paris. Nous avons eu le plaisir de rencontrer Hura Mirshekari chanteuse et plasticienne dont ses musiques nous font voyager dans la région aride du Sistan en Iran.00:00 Intro 01:04 Interview Hura Mirshekari26:42 Chanson Gharare Yar 27:35 Outro Pour en savoir plus sur l’atelier des artistes en exil : https://aa-e.orgAïka Ensemble – Del Katahgharare yar (قرار یار) compuser renaud satre singer sistani EnglishFor this fourth Radio Tabbouli podcast, TMR takes you to the open doors of the studio of artists in exile in the heart of Paris. We met the artist Hura Mirshekari, a singer and visual artist whose music takes us on a journey to the arid region of Sistan in Iran.Animatrice Sarah de The Markaz Review (TMR)Literature and Arts from the Center of the Worldhttps://themarkaz.org/https://linktr.ee/themarkazreview