With its outstanding publishing houses and a freedom of speech unique in the region, Lebanon has become a paradise for many writers from more authoritarian Arab states where strict censorship is the order of the day. Lebanon's neighbour, Syria, is the prime example. Susanne Schanda reports
The Egyptian writer Khaled Al-Khamissi, whose novel Taxi anticipates the revolution of 25 January in literary form, and the renowned author and literary critic Stefan Weidner debate the revolution on the Nile and its knock-on effects on other Arab states
Abdelaziz Aouragh opened the world's first halal shop for sexual enhancement products. It is but one indication that many young Muslims are charting their own course in managing adherence to a faith whose sexual morals historically have been interpreted by arch conservatives. James M. Dorsey reports
A trend is emerging in the authoritarian countries of the Arab world: political power is being handed down from generation to generation. Kristin Helberg takes a closer look at the phenomenon, highlighting the case of Bashar al-Assad in Syria
Lebanese writer Alawiyya Sobh is one of Arab literature's self-confident voices. She is a writer who mercilessly dissects patriarchal Arab society, exposing the oppression of women, who are always at the centre of her novels. Mona Naggar talked to the author about her most famous novel to date, Maryam of the Stories