Narratives of Dislocation in the Arab World: Rewriting Ghurba

This monograph explores and investigates narratives of physical, psychological, and emotional dislocation within the Arab world, approaching them as manifestations of the Arabic word "ghurba," or estrangement. It covers texts from the Levant, Egypt, the Arabian Peninsula, and beyond from the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries, grounding narratives of dislocation in the political, social, and cultural structures that affect the everyday lived experiences of individuals and communities. An analysis of Arabic, Turkish, and English texts highlights less visible narratives of "ghurba," specifically amongst ethnic minorities and religious communities. The book contributes to a picture of the Arab world as a place of "ghurba" where mobile and immobile subjects, foreigners and local inhabitants alike, encounter alienation.

Format: Hardback
Length: 206 pages
Publication date: 08 March 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This monograph delves into and examines narratives of physical, psychological, and emotional dislocation that occur within the Arab world, treating them as manifestations of the Arabic term ghurba, which signifies estrangement as a feeling and state of being. By departing from the centrality of the "West" in postcolonial and Arabic literary studies, the book explores experiences of migration, displacement, and cosmopolitanism that arise independently from encounters with Europe or the European other. Spanning texts from the Levant, Egypt, the Arabian Peninsula, and beyond, from the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries, the book grounds narratives of dislocation in the political, social, and cultural structures that shape individuals' and communities' everyday lived experiences.

An analysis of Arabic, Turkish, and English texts, encompassing fiction, memoirs, and translations, highlights less visible narratives of ghurba, particularly among ethnic minorities and religious communities. Ultimately, the chapters contribute to a portrayal of the Arab world as a place of ghurba, where mobile and immobile subjects, foreigners, and local inhabitants alike, encounter alienation.

Bringing together a diverse range of academic perspectives, this book will appeal to students and scholars in postcolonial and comparative literary studies, history, and Arabic and Middle East studies.

Weight: 560g
Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032294780