OVERVIEW

It is a 36-hour course (6 credits) and it corresponds to the second part of Arabic literature II academic year 2024/2025 which will be held in the second semester. Arabic Literature III continues to trace the evolution of the Arab and Egyptian narrative which is partly dealt with in Arabic Literature II. It will cover the historical and socio-cultural context in the Arab world at the end of the Second World War and the events following the decolonization process in the 60s and 70s. It intends to provide an overview of the main narrative trends in those years in relation to the political and socio-cultural evolution.

- Students who choose Arabic literature III worth 9 CFU will also be required to agree with their professor on a topic, in addition to those listed in the program, and to prepare a presentation of it. Topics can range from modern and contemporary poetry and drama to the fiction of a specific Arab country.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

- It intends to provide an overview of the main narrative trends in the twentieth century in relation to the political and socio-cultural evolution, analyse the most representative and relevant themes, authors and works of that period, as well as identify their specificity in the modern and contemporary Arabic literary context. The course offers students methodological knowledge and develops critical thinking that enable the understanding of other phenomena, authors and works from the same period.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

- This module aims to:

• provide students with an in-depth knowledge of modern Arabic literature, the main literary trends and texts;
• offer students methodological knowledge and critical thinking that enable the understanding of other authors and works from the same period;
• develop analytical and interpretation skills;
• broaden the knowledge of lexicon, phraseology and syntactic structures of Standard Arabic through the reading and analysis of some passages in original language;
• encourage students to reflect on literary, cultural and socio-political issues.

- At the end of the course the student will:

• have an in-depth knowledge of the historical, political and literary context which characterised the Arab world in the 20th centuries;
• know the main trends, authors and texts of modern Arabic and Egyptian literatures;
• be able to identify texts in the context of the history of Arabic literature, to link them to historical events, and other works and authors;
• be able to analyse the themes and the stylistic features of the literary texts dealt with;
• acquire the specialised literary, historical and political lexicon related to the topics discussed in the course.

TEACHING METHODS

Lectures and seminars. Texts and audiovisual materials, such as films and documentaries, will be provided in class. Students will be asked to participate in class discussions, to read and comment on several texts, both in Italian and in Arabic, as well as to prepare summaries and oral presentations.

The lessons will be held in the second semester according to the university teaching timetable.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

- It is a 36-hour course (6 credits) and it corresponds to the second part of Arabic literature II academic year 2024/2025 which will be held in the second semester.

- This module examines the evolution of the novel in Egypt and other Arab countries in relation to the crucial events that have shaped the contemporary history of the Arab world. It particularly focuses on the processes of decolonization, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the crises of post-colonial regimes, Arab migrations, the encounter and clash with other civilizations, as well as the political and socio-cultural changes in the Arab world during the second half of the 20th century.

- The following works will be covered:

• Qindīl Umm Hāšim (The Lamp of Umm Hashim - 1944) by Yaḥyā Ḥaqqī (Egypt);
• Riǧāl fī l-šams (Men in the Sun 1963) by Ġassān Kanafānī (Palestine);
• Mawsim al-hiğrah ilà al-šamāl  (Season of Migration to the North 1967) by al-Ṭayyib Ṣāliḥ (Sudan);
• al-Ḫubz al-ḥāfī (For Bread Alone 1972) by Muḥammad Šukrī (Morocco);
• Bayrūt ’75 (Bayrut 75 - 1975) by Ġāda Sammān (Syria);
• Sāq al-Bambū (The Bamboo Stalk 2012) by Sa‘ūd al-San‘ūsī (Kuwait).

- Students who choose Arabic literature III worth 9 CFU will also be required to agree with their professor on a topic, in addition to those listed in the program, and to prepare a presentation of it. Topics can range from modern and contemporary poetry and drama to the fiction of a specific Arab country.

N.B .: Students must read at least two works of their choice (novels or anthologies of short stories or poems), translated from Arabic into Italian or English, and must be able to present and analyse them in depth in the exam.

- The syllabus is the same for non-attending students. Bibliographical material and texts covered during the course will be available on Aulaweb.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

• Isabella Camera d’Afflitto, Letteratura araba contemporanea. Dalla nahdah a oggi, Carocci, Roma, 2007;
• Isabella Camera d’Aflitto, Scrittori arabi del Novecento, Bompiani, Milano, 2002;
• Toelle H., Zakaria K., Alla scoperta della letteratura araba. Dal vi secolo ai nostri giorni. Argo, Lecce, 2010;
• Avino M, Camera d’Afflitto I, Salem A. (ed.), Antologia della letteratura araba contemporanea, Carocci, Roma, 2015;
• Starkey, Paul, Modern Arabic Literature, Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh, 2006.

N.B .: Students must read at least two works of their choice (novels or anthologies of short stories or poems), translated from Arabic into Italian or English, and must be able to expose and analyse them in depth in the exam.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

LESSONS

LESSONS START

The lessons will be held in the second semester, according to the following timetable:

• Thursday, 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM – Room IV, Balbi 5;
• Friday, 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM – Room E, Polo didattico.

Class schedule

ARABIC LITERATURE AND CULTURE III

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

Oral examination: the examination will last approx. 15 minutes for each student. It will consist of a number of questions on the various topics dealt with during the course, with regard to the history and the most important genres, authors and works in modern Arabic literature, and particularly Egyptian.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The student’s learning will be evaluated based on a clear, accurate and comprehensive presentation of the historical and literary topics of the course. The student's ability to place the movements, authors and texts in the history of modern and contemporary Arabic literature as well as their ability to analyse the works chosen will also be evaluated.

Exam schedule

FURTHER INFORMATION

Students who have valid certification of physical or learning disabilities on file with the University and who wish to discuss possible accommodations or other circumstances regarding lectures, coursework and exams, should speak both with the lecturer and with Prof. Sara Dickinson (sara.dickinson@unige.it), the Department’s disability liaison.