- Rashā ʿAbbās’ (1984-, Syria) short story collection Kayf tamm Ikhtirāʿ al-Lughah al-Almāniyyah (‘The invention of German grammar’, 2016). With an ironic tone of writing, this collection describes experiences of settling as a refugee in Germany, such as the difficulties of learning the German dialect, the particularities of the German people, and dealing with German’s bureaucratic system, experiences that are at times so harsh and bizarre, that they become surreal (reference) (2015 – 2016 European Migrant Crisis).
- Marwān ʿAbd al-ʿĀl (1957-, Lebanon / Palestine) – Īfān al-Filasṭīnī (‘Ivan the Palestinian’, 2011). ʿArab, a Palestinian young man flees Palestine and settles in Germany where he changes his name to Īfān. Meanwhile, his Tunisian friend Bin Hawāsh, who fled from the dictatorship of Bin ʿAlī and settled in Germany, struggles between his communist sentiments and his traditional and Islamic background. This struggle is show for example in his refusal to marry his sister to a non-Muslim, swearing to Stalin that he will kill her if she does. The novel shows how the character’s political and social ideology is forgotten when they reach Germany, and their traditional customs take its place (reference) (also in I: Ideologies and Political Movements: Communism and Marxism).
- Shakīb al-Jābirī (1922 – 1996, Syria) – Qaws Quzaḥ (‘Rainbow’, 1946). This novel portrays the life of a Syrian student living in Germany as he tries to balance his affection for a German woman with feelings of nostalgia for his homeland and support for the cause of Arab nationalism (reference).[1] The novel consists of written letters, which was a new style of writing in the mid 20th century (reference) (also in L: Languages and Dialects: Letters).
- ʿAbd al-Ḥakīm Qāsim (1934 – 1990, Egypt) – Qadar al-Ghuraf al-Muqbiḍa (‘The destiny of stifling rooms’, 1982). A travel story of the hero’s journey from an Egyptian village to Germany, describing in detailed manner the rooms in which he stays (reference).
Refrences:
In order of appearance
- Nāʾilah Manṣūr. “Kitābāt Rashā ʿAbbās aw al-Tʾanuq Yawm al-Qiyāmah.” www.aljumhuriya.net, 28 November 2019, https://aljumhuriya.net/ar/2019/11/28/%D9%83%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%B1%D8%B4%D8%A7-%D8%B9%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B3-%D8%A3%D9%88-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AA%D8%A3%D9%86%D9%82-%D9%8A%D9%88%D9%85-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%82%D9%8A%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%A9/ (last accessed 14 December 2023)
- ʿAbdu, Īlī. 2011. “Marwān ʿAbd al-ʿĀl ‘al-Filastīnī’.” www.al-akhbar.com, 20 July 2011, https://al-akhbar.com/Literature_Arts/91812 (last accessed 9 February 2025)
- EAL, p. 405
- Fayṣal Khartash. 2019. “Shakīb al-Jābirī… Rāʾid al-Riwāyah al-Faniyyah al-Uwlā fī Sūriyyah.” www.diffah.alaraby.co.uk, 15 November 2019, https://diffah.alaraby.co.uk/diffah/revisions/2019/11/16/%D8%B4%D9%83%D9%8A%D8%A8-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AC%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%B1%D9%8A-%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%A6%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%81%D9%86%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D9%88%D9%84%D9%89-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%B3%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A9 (last accessed 14 December 2023)
- EAL, p. 634