87362 - Contemporary Arabic Literary Civilisation (1) (LM)

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course students will have acquired an advanced level of knowledge of modern and contemporary Arab culture and literature with reference to the original sources. They will be able independently to conduct documentary and bibliographic research, so as to apply their skills in the editorial and publishing field and in the promotion of the cultural heritage.

Course contents

The course consists of a historical-introductory section, aimed at outlining the main lines of development of modern and contemporary Arabic literature (week 1), and a section on literary criticism, aimed at developing linguistic and literary critical skills based on the careful analysis of literary expressions (works, authors, genres, and themes) and situating the aesthetics, ethics, and politics of texts within the intertextual dialogue between the ancient and the modern and within the global context of intercultural exchange.


The topics will be divided as follows:


Week 1: Methodological introduction

to the study of modern and contemporary Arabic literature
Lesson 1: Definitions and terminological issues: Nahda and Arabic literary modernity; the periodization of modern and contemporary Arabic literature
Lesson 2: From manuscript to critical edition: the introduction of printing and the revolution in textual production. The role of literary journals.
Lesson 3: Introduction to Elements of Literary Criticism: Literary Genres in Arabic Literature (Continuity and Break with Literary Tradition)

Week 2: Main Developments in the Modern and Contemporary Arabic Novel

Lesson 4: Egypt
The "First" Modern Arabic Novel: Muhammad Hussein Haykal: Zaynab.

Novel and Realism. Naguib Mahfouz and the Cairo Trilogy

The Autobiography of the Modern Intellectual. Taha Hussein: The Days.

Alaa Al-Aswani: Yacoubian Palace


Lesson 5: Palestine

Gassan Kanafani: Men Under the Sun. The Palestinian Diaspora.
The Condition of Women Under Occupation. Sahar Khalifa: The Gate of the Square.
Adania Shibli: A Minor Detail. Memory.

Lesson 6: Authors from the Maghreb and the Middle East: Political Commitment, Migration, and Climate Change.

Ahlam Mosteghanemi (Algeria): The Memory of the Body (Ilisso).
Hoda Barakat (Lebanon): Night Courier
Jokha Alharthi (Oman): Celestial Bodies.
Ibrahim al-Koni (Libya): Gold Dust.
Salih Tayyeb (Sudan): The Season of Migration to the North.

Week 3:
Lesson 7: Modernism and Poetry: Post-1967 Free Verse and the "New Sensibility": al-Mala'ika, Nizar Qabbani, Muzaffar al-Nawwab, Adonis
Lesson 8: Palestinian Poetry: Jabra Ibrahim Jabra, Ghassan Khanafani, Mahmoud Darwish
Lesson 9: The Poetry of the Arab Revolutions (Mohammed Youssef and Abu al-Qasim al-Shabbi)

Week 4: Literary Genres Between Tradition and Modernity
The Development of Maqamat in the Modern and Contemporary Era
The Ghazal: From Love for the Beloved to Love for the Nation
Telling History Through a Narrative Lens: Between Realism and Science Fiction

Week 5: Concluding Reflections + Student Presentations

Readings/Bibliography

Common Bibliography:


Textbook: Letteratura araba: Dalla Nahda alle rivoluzioni e oltre. A cura di Francesca Maria Corrao, Monica Ruocco. Mondadori, 2024. Capp. 17; 18; 23; 25; 26; 29; 30.
Critical texts + literary texts in Arabic with translations published on the educational website.

Three novels in translation of your choice from:

• Muhammad Husayn Haykal: Zaynab (Atmosphere Libri).
• Naguib Mahfouz (Premio Nobel 1988): La trilogia del Cairo (Tra i due palazzi, Il palazzo del desiderio, La via dello zucchero - Feltrinelli).
• Taha Hussein: I giorni (Garzanti).
• Alaa Al-Aswani: Palazzo Yacoubian (Feltrinelli)
• Gassan Kanafani: Uomini sotto il sole (Edizioni Lavoro). La diaspora palestinese.
• Sahar Khalifa: La porta della piazza (Sperling & Kupfer). La condizione femminile sotto l'occupazione.
• Adania Shibli: Un dettaglio minore (La nave di Teseo). La memoria.
• Sinan Antoon: L’archivio dei danni collaterali (Feltrinelli)
• Ahlam Mosteghanemi (Algeria): La memoria del corpo (Ilisso).
• Hoda Barakat (Libano): Corriere di notte (La nave di Teseo)
• Jokha Alharthi (Oman): Corpi celesti (Bompiani)
• Ibrahim al-Koni (Libia): Polvere d’oro (Ilisso)
• Salih Tayyeb (Sudan): La stagione della migrazione a nord (Sellerio).

For non-attending students: 5 novels of your choice.

Teaching methods

In addition to lectures, attending students will be required to actively participate in class, primarily through discussions of short literary texts shared in advance on the course website.

Assessment methods

A student who attends at least 75% of the lectures is considered to be in attendance. Attending students are required to complete an individual project on one of the novels listed in the bibliography, to be presented in a seminar format during the final lectures of the course.


The exam will be an oral examination. Students will be required to demonstrate their knowledge of the history of modern and contemporary Arab literary civilization, contextualizing the literary criticism themes and analysis of the texts covered during the course. The following will be assessed:


- Mastery of the course content.


- The ability to critically analyze the main themes and debates in modern and contemporary Arabic literature.


Students who achieve a comprehensive understanding of the topics covered in class, along with their critical application, will be awarded excellent marks.


A rote understanding of the material, combined with limited or inappropriate analytical skills, will result in a fair grade.


Educational gaps and minimal knowledge of the exam material will result in a grade below passing.


Learning gaps and a lack of understanding of the course materials will be negatively assessed.


If the course is part of an Integrated Course (IC) in the student's study plan, the final grade will be the arithmetic mean of the grades obtained in both components. The exam for an Integrated Course (IC) will be taken in the presence of both course instructors, for the respective modules, in the same exam session.

Teaching tools

Slides for each lecture; anthological selections of translated texts.

Students who, due to disabilities or specific learning disabilities (SLD), require compensatory or dispensatory tools should first contact the appropriate office: https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilitae-dsa/it/per-studenti.

Office hours

See the website of Celeste Gianni