Banipal is not only presenting more and more interesting authors in the magazine, but also looking at opportunities for development that will encourage a new generation of literary translators, and will give publishers the chance to publish, and readers to read, as well as researching new funding possibilities, and looking at how to make sure the magazine, and then the books, can reach readers, wherever they are.

Banipal 31, Spring 2008, highlights some of the numerous events already this year which focus on literature from the Arab world, such as the new International Prize for Arabic Fiction, the launch of Arabia Books, and Banipal itself winning the UK Incwriters 2008 Award for Outstanding Contribution to Literature (Magazines) – an immensely proud moment being “recognised, selected and celebrated by our peers in literature in the UK”.

This issue pays tribute to publisher Suhail Idriss (1925-2008), founder of Al-Adab publishing house, and to pioneer Iraqi author Fuad al-Takarli (1927-2008), both of whom passed way this February.

A new departure for Banipal is a dialogue from The Visitor, an enthralling, and fast-moving playscript by Lebanese poet, translator and author Paul Chaoul. There’s a moving testimony by the late Egyptian author Osama Dinassouri from his posthumously published memoir, and searing short story from Dafur by Sudanese author Abdelaziz Baraka Sakin.

Banipal 31 presents the first of a three-part series on Syrian literature. There's fiction from: Zakaria Tamer, with selected stories from a new collection Breaking Knees, Rafik Schami, with an excerpt from his latest work The Dark Side of Love, Khaled Khalifa, short-listed for the “Arab Booker” for his novel In Praise of Hatred, also a chapter from a new novel by Khalil Suwailih, and three short stories from Nihad Sirees, Dima Wannous and Manhal Sarraj.

The poets in the issue are the late Mohammad al-Maghut, four poets who will visit the UK in July – Lukman Derky, Monzer Masri, Hala Mohammad and Rasha Omran, as well as the poets Lina Tibi, Nazih Abu Afach, Abed Ismael, Rima Buaini, Saleh Diab and Jackleen Salam.

This first part of the series concludes with a tale of walking through Rome by surgeon/author Khalil al-Neimi.

Book reviews include Hisham Sharabi’s memoir Embers and Ashes, Diane Abu-Jaber’s Origin, Dissident Syria by miriam cooke, Yousef al-Mohaimeed’s Wolves of the Crescent Moon, Outcast by Shimon Ballas, Inside the Night by Ibrahim Nasrallah and Naguib Mahfouz by Rasheed el-Enany.

The cover artist is Mehdi Qotbi from Morocco.

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