Readings From Jordan Elgrably and Omar El-Akkad

Join editor Jordan Elgrably and author Omar El-Akkad for readings from their acclaimed new book, Stories from the Center of the World: New Middle East Fiction.

Stories from the Center of the World gathers new writing from the greater Middle East (or SWANA), a vast region that stretches from Southwest Asia, through the Middle East and Turkey, and across Northern Africa. The 25 authors come from a wide range of cultures and countries, including Palestine, Syria, Pakistan, Iran, Lebanon, Egypt, and Morocco, to name a few. This unique collection of voices and viewpoints illuminates life in the global Arab/Muslim world.

At this special New York event, editor Jordan Elgrably and Omar El-Akkad, author of “The Icarist,” a story in the collection, will read selected works from the collection.

This event is co-presented with ArteEast, The Global Platform for Middle Eastern Arts.

To join in person | Please be sure to register for an In-Person Ticket. Doors will open 30 minutes before the program begins. For free events, we generally overbook to ensure a full house. Priority will be given to those who have registered in advance, but registration does not guarantee admission. If you register for multiple tickets, please provide the name of each person who will be attending the event or arrive with your entire party present. Only registered patrons will be granted entry into the event space. All registered seats are released shortly before start time, and seats may become available at that time. A standby line will form 30 minutes before the program.

Community Agreement: By registering for this event, registrants agree to be respectful of presenters, Library staff, and fellow attendees. Those who do not honor this community agreement are subject to removal from the event space.

ABOUT ARTEEAST

Since its founding in 2003 as a NY-based arts collective specializing in Middle Eastern film programming, ArteEast has become a leading organization advocating for and supporting artists from the South West Asia North Africa (SWANA) region and its diaspora, engaging with New York, U.S. and international audiences and arts communities. For more information visit arteeast.org.

ABOUT THE PRESENTERS 

Jordan Elgrably is a French, American and Moroccan writer, editor and translator, based in Montpellier and California. The editor-in-chief of The Markaz Review, he is the editor of Stories from the Center of the World: New Middle East Fiction (City Lights 2024) and co-editor with Malu Halasa of SumÅ«d: a New Palestinian Reader (Seven Stories Press, 2024).

Omar El Akkad is an author and a journalist. His books, including American War and What Strange Paradise, have been translated into 13 languages. He is a two-time winner of both the Oregon Book Award and the Pacific Northwest Booksellers' Association Award. He lives just south of Portland, Oregon, where he is on the faculty of the Pacific University MFA in Writing program.

GET THE BOOK

If you have a NYPL library card, you can borrow the book for free with our e-reader app SimplyE, available for iOS and Android devices.

Don't have a New York Public Library card? Get one here!

ACCESSIBILITY

In-Person

• You can request a free ASL (American Sign Language) interpretation or CART (Communication Access Real-Time Translation) captioning service by emailing your request at least two weeks in advance of the event: email accessibility@nypl.org.


• This venue is fully accessible to wheelchairs.

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Please submit all press inquiries at least 48 hours before the event: email press@nypl.org.