Some stories tackled contemporary life—its realities, tragedies, and evolving conditions—while others turned to the past as an escape, critically distancing themselves from present crises

For those who look closely, there were recurring cultural themes over the past 12 months, whether in cinema, music, art, or literature. There were also common threats and shared opportunities.

On the margins of the Guadalajara International Book Fair, I was amazed by the sheer scale of the country's capital, home to 23 million, the mundane and the marvellous

Al Majalla looks back at a memorable and haunting year in film, with Kaouther Ben Hania's The Voice of Hind Rajab one of 2025's most powerful works

The great Arabian novelist, who has died at the age of 76, carried the mountains of southern Arabia to the heart of France in his famous work, published in 2000.

From the lives of explorers to the intimacies of the human condition, Morgado looks for the imperfect and the relatable, whether in historical figures or in ourselves.

A tour of the latest releases from Arabic publishing houses on topics covering fiction, philosophy, science, history, and politics

The award-winning playwright and theatre director Helena Tornero talks poetry, politics, and writing in the space between two worlds

Vincent van Gogh painted sunflowers and starry nights from Arles, Paul Gauguin painted landscapes and Polynesian women from Tahiti, while in Tangier, Henri Matisse enhanced his palette.

This Japanese art form reveals 'a bitter awareness of the frailty of human existence and the impermanence of nature,' one of its most perceptive proponents tells Al Majalla.