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Root number
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507577 |
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Semester
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HS2025 |
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Type of course
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Seminar |
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Allocation to subject
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Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies |
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Type of exam
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not defined |
| Title |
BA Sem SP2: Arabic Prison Literature |
| Description |
Modern popular culture leans heavily towards homogenization around global forms. However, some regional and cultural specifics persist, stand out, and matter. One example is the prominence of prison literature (adab al-sujūn) as a distinct sub-genre of modern Arabic literature. Simply put, there is no equivalent for this in English or German – or, in fact, in most other literary markets. Ever since the 1960s, a constant stream of realistic narratives about imprisonment, political persecution, torture, resistance, culture, and community has shaped public opinion and imagination in Arabic speaking societies to a considerable degree.
The seminar introduces and explores Arabic prison literature through a mix of literary and scholarly studies. We will read and discuss prepared sections from a selection of Arabic prison novels in every session, whereas research literature offering contextual and analytical input will be introduced every other week. In addition, students prepare case studies about individual authors, novels, or TV series to be presented throughout the semester. While the typically gruesome element of this literature will certainly be addressed and discussed in class, we will not regularly delve into descriptions of violence. Using Ahmed Naji's prison novel Ḥirz mukamkim as a sort of guidebook, the seminar as a whole will rather focus on the cultural and literary sides of the phenomenon and ask for its social and political implications.
In this seminar, students gain experience and develop a routine in reading and working with modern Arabic literature. They learn about an important part of contemporary cultural production and its social and political background. The presentations require students to read at least one (translated) novel or equivalent long-form text in full and contextualize it. The exam papers apply and display students' acquired competences in comprehending, translating, and interpreting examples of modern Arabic literature in relation to current research debates. |
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ILIAS-Link (Learning resource for course)
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Registrations are transmitted from CTS to ILIAS (no admission in ILIAS possible).
ILIAS
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Link to another web site
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| Lecturers |
Dr.
Björn Burkhardt Peter Bentlage, Institute for the Study of the Middle East and Muslim Societies (ISNO) ✉
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ECTS
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5 |
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Recognition as optional course possible
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Yes |
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Grading
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1 to 6 |
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| Dates |
Wednesday 10:15-12:00 Weekly
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| Rooms |
Seminarraum F 003, Hörraumgebäude Unitobler
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| Students please consult the detailed view for complete information on dates, rooms and planned podcasts. |
User:
Öffentlicher Bereich
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