ARABIC LITERATURE 2

"Arabic Literature 2" is one of the characterising courses of the second year Arab Studies curriculum of the Bachelor's Degree course in Languages, Cultures and Societies of Asia and North Africa.
Its educational goals concern building skills in the analysis of literary texts and, secondly, language proficiency.
The course provides a general introduction to the history of modern and contemporary Arabic literature, covering the period from the beginning of the 19th century to the present.
It will deal with both narrative prose and poetry, explaining the development of genres and subgenres thereof, and presenting the main figures, themes, currents and trends of the Nahdah (Renaissance), of the post-colonial era and of the current phase of globalization up to the aftermath of the "Arab Uprisings" .

Students wil be able to:
- know and understand the tension between tradition and modernity in modern and contemporary Arabic literary production; the role of translations of Western works and the contribution of Mahjar (diaspora) literature; feminist and women's writing; the development of both prose and poetry; the most relevant themes, trends, currents and literary figures of the period under examination; Arabic literary terminology and culturospecific terms referring to particular phenomena;
- explain the literary phenomena dealt with during the course;
- describe each of the most significant works introduced during the course, contextualizing it and indicating its contents and style;
- analyse literary texts;
- read and translate the Arabic texts analysed during the course;
- use Arabic literary terminology.

Adequate Knowledge of Arabic morphosyntax and lexicon.

The program will revolve around the dialectics between tradition and modernity in Modern and Contemporary Arab Literature. A particular focus will be given to:
1. The beginning of the modernisation of Arab culture: European colonialism and the Nahda (Renaissance) movement; the press and literary magazines; the revival of the maqāmāt; the importance of translations of Western literature; the controversy between conservatives and innovators; identity and alterity.
2. The intellectual debate in Egypt and in the Syro-Lebanese region. Taha Husayn's oeuvre and thought.
3. The genesis and development of the Arabic novel. The influence of Mahjar (emigration) literature. Feminist and women's writing.
4. The main poetic trends from neo-classicism to the free verse.
5. The Egyptian novel. Naguib Mahfuz and his legacy.
6. The 1948 and 1967 defeats. New lexicon and new aesthetics: Nakba, Ghurba, Manfà, Naksa. Palestinian literature. Syrian Adab al-sujun.
7. Poetic trends of the second half of the Twentieth century.
8. Post-colonial narratives: autobiography, the short story and the novel.
9. The most recent literary production. The Arab poetry in the aftermath of the Arab Uprisings
10. Cultural Specifities and new forms of writings. An overwiev of the Gulf Literature between cultural Soft Power and dissent voices.

Short biographies and excerpts of some Arabic texts will be read and analyzed in the original language, whereas others will be proposed in the Italian translation.

- Toelle, H., Zakharia, K., Alla scoperta della letteratura araba. Dal VI secolo ai nostri giorni, Lecce, Argo, 2010, pp. 217-435,
or Allen, Roger, An Introduction to Arabic Literature, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 2000 (only the chapters/parts relating to the planned programme)
- Further Texts provided by the teacher.

- one of the following essays (free choice)
1) Sibilio Simone, Poesia araba moderna e contemporanea, Ipocan, Roma forthcoming
2) Ruocco, Monica, Storia del teatro arabo. Dalla nahdah a oggi, Roma, Carocci, 2010
3) Camera D'Afflitto, Isabella, Letteratura araba contemporanea. Dalla Nahdah ad oggi, n.e., Roma, Carocci, 2007
Students will also present at the exam one of the literary works mentioned in the Textbook or another work on their own choice.


Recommended further readings:

- Allen, Roger, The Arabic Novel: An Historical and Critical Introduction, Syracuse (NY), Syracuse University Press, 1994.
El-Ariss (ed.), The Arab Renaissance. A Bilingual Anthology of the Nahda, New York, Modern Language Association of America, 2018.
- Capezio O., Chiti E., Corrao F. M., Sibilio, In guerra non mi cercate. Poesia araba delle rivoluzioni e oltre, Le Monnier Università, Milano 2018

Oral exam: students will be examined on authors, literary works and cultural aspects dealt with during the course; they have to show their skills in reading and translation of some excerpts of the Arabic texts analysed during class; and to offer an analysis of one of the novels or poetry collections on their own choice.

Lectures. PowerPoint presentations. E-Sources. Reading, translation and analysis of the texts provided during class.

Italian

oral