Our fortnightly round-up of the latest Arabic books covering a wide range of topics, reflecting some of the trends and thinking in the Arab world

Al Majalla asks the popular chatbot who it is and how it thinks and suggests a more personable name for it. The discussion touches on identity and philosophy and shows the tech's scope.

Coralie Fargeat's stark commentary on Hollywood and wider society won in Cannes. It is a unique film blending grace, intelligence and horror, starring Demi Moore in one of her finest roles.

The Nobel Prize-winning novel takes readers on a journey through the landscape of memory and pain, revisiting an evil committed three-quarters of a century ago to illuminate the present

Scripted by journalist Gabriel Sherman and directed by Ali Abbasi, 'The Apprentice' doesn't claim to be a definitive portrayal of the president-elect, but it does help explain why he is how he is

With dreamy vocals evoking images of hills and homeland, the star and her husband together wove a new and more romantic version of Lebanon in the years before the civil war that feels very distant now

The Moroccan novelist tells a story about two friends who experienced child sexual abuse at the hands of men in their childhood city. When they both return, it is for different reasons.

Our fortnightly round-up of the latest Arabic books covering a wide range of topics, reflecting some of the trends and thinking in the Arab world

In 1511, there were places in Mecca specifically designated for selling and drinking coffee, known as coffee houses. Decades later, the first café opened in Istanbul.

Al Majalla interviews the British writer who won the Booker for her novel Orbital—a story set in space that reveals much about life on Earth and how isolation can sometimes be a privilege