Top Three Reads for 2022 by Al Batul Book Club
As the new year, and new goals roll in, so does our need for self-reflection and motivation! This list of three top reads is hopefully the beginning of a more prosperous and fulfilling year, a
Goodbye Muslim Gonzo
Michael Muhammad Knight has always been provocative. His mixture of punk-gonzo writing, tripping across the American Muslim landscape in search of its – and ultimately, Islam’s – soul, has always attracted me. Perhaps it is
Muti’ah Badruddeen’s “Rekiya and Z”: Carving Spaces for sub-Sahara African Muslim Fiction
In January, I recommended some books that I posited will improve one’s deen, and I also deconstructed the idea that only non-fictional books can give this desired result. Rekiya and Z by Muti’ah Badruddeen is one such fictional account that fits
A Turkish American Story: Selma Ekrem’s ‘Unveiled’
Since I moved back to Turkey, I’ve been meaning to re-read Turkish American writer Selma Ekrem’s Unveiled: The Autobiography of a Turkish Girl (1930). And I was able to last weekend. Ironically, the first time I read
Book Review: ‘In The Palace Of Flowers’ by Victoria Princewill
The inspiration for Victoria Princewill’s debut novel was the first person account of Jamila Habashi, an enslaved African woman in Iran. A letter written by Jamila, dated 1905, is included in the book and is
12 Deen Boosting Books to Read in 2021
Reading is an intricate part of Islam. The first chapter of the Quran to be revealed, Surah Iqra, and the circumstances surrounding its revelation is a clear pointer to this. Hence, seeking knowledge through reading
Book Review: ‘Blink’ by Malcolm Gladwell
Over the last few years Malcolm Gladwell has become one of the most prolific and well-known nonfiction writers and has had immense success with books like Outliers and The Tipping Point. In his book Blink,
Book Review: ‘The Runaways’ by Fatima Bhutto
This novel embodies radical empathy. It’s radical to understand the lives of the radicalised; to understand what it is that made them take their path. Fatima Bhutto gives a counter-narrative of three radicalised teenagers that
Book Review: ‘The Guineveres’ by Sarah Domet
Four girls who share a name and a home at the Sisters of the Supreme Adoration convent after being abandoned by their families are the focus of Sarah Domet’s debut novel. Vere, Gwen, Win and
Interview: Abdussabur Kirke
We sat down with author, translator and editor Abdussabur Kirke to discuss fiction, storytelling and the art of writing. HIKAAYAT: You’ve recently published Aydin – a novel. Tell us about your journey as a