Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre’s Al Markaz: The Journal of Arab Studies Selects ‘Hope in Arabic Literature’ as Title for Inaugural Issue

23 Oct, 2021

The Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre, part of the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), announced the title selection for the first issue of its peer-reviewed journal Al Markaz: The Journal of Arab Studies, created in collaboration with Brill Publishing. Set to be published in the first half of 2022, the inaugural edition will be titled ‘Hope in Arabic Literature’.

His Excellency Dr. Ali bin Tamim, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre and Editor-in-Chief of Al Markaz, said: “Hope is a theme often explored in the literature of various civilisations. It has an especially prominent presence in Arabic heritage, poetry, prose, and modern literature, however there are very few studies that address the subject. With that in mind, for its inaugural issue the Journal invites scholars and researchers to explore this topic from various perspectives and through different approaches. This offers them several potential areas to build their research around, such as eras of hope, initiatives that promote hope, the literature of misery, and the literature of utopian cities, among others.”

Al Markaz welcomes submissions across all genres of Arabic poetry and prose from any period of Arab history. It calls on scholars to develop a framework for a study on hope in Arabic literature, as well as other subjects to explore in the future. The content of this first edition is intended to serve as a ‘record through time’, exploring the hopes and aspirations communicated in the Arabic language – in both its oral and written formats. Submissions should highlight this unique topic and explore the common interests of mankind through its lens.

The deadline for the submission of excerpts is 14 December 2021, which should be sent to the Journal’s official email address: almarkaz@dctabudhabi.ae. Submissions must include a hypothesis or proposition, a definition of the adopted methodology, as well as an outline of the top findings. The advisory body will study applications and select the material best suited for the issue, before requesting the final manuscripts to be delivered before 30 May 2022. As the Journal will be produced solely in Arabic, papers in English will be translated into Arabic before publishing. All papers are subject to arbitration by three adjudicators.

The editorial board of Al Markaz includes Dr. Bilal Orfali (Editor and Editor-in-Chief) from the American University of Beirut, along with co-editors Dr. Khalil Al Sheikh, Yarmouk University; Dr. Tahira Qutbuddin, University of Chicago; Dr. Maurice Pomerantz, NYU Abu Dhabi; Sultan Al Ameemi, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Emirates Writers’ Union; Dr. Lina Al Jamal, book reviews editor.

The Journal has an international scientific advisory body consisting of Dr. Salah Fadl, Ain Shams University; Dr. Mohsen Jasim Al Mousavi, Columbia University; Dr. Abdullah Al-Ghathami, King Saud University; Dr. Hanada Taha, Zayed University; Dr. Vitaly Naumkin, Institute of Oriental Studies in Moscow; Prof. Philip Kennedy, NYU Abu Dhabi; Shawkat Toorawa, Yale University; Dr. Susan Stetkevych, Georgetown University; Dr. Beatrice Gründler, Free University of Berlin; James Montgomery, University of Cambridge; and Dr. Abdelkader Al Fassi Al Fahri, Mohammed Bin Zayed University for Humanities.